Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is often times seen as one of the most complex but favored poker variations. It is a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for action from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once invisible game, has grown in popularity so rapidly.

Omaha hi lo starts exactly like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to every player. A sequence of wagering follows where players can bet, check, or fold. 3 cards are dealt out, this is known as the flop. A further round of betting happens. Once all the gamblers have in turn called or dropped out, a further card is revealed on the turn. Another round of betting happens at which point the river card is flipped. The gamblers will need to put together the best high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.

This is where many entrants often get flustered. Contrasted to Texas Holdem, where the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player must use precisely 3 cards on the board, and precisely two hole cards. Not a single card more, no less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot can be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."

A high hand is just what it sounds like. It is the strongest hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house. It is the very same concept in just about every poker game.

A low hand is more complicated, but really opens up the play. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the worst hand that can be put together, with the lowest value being A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and smaller. The low hand wins half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there is no low hand available, the high hand wins the entire pot.

It may seem complex at the start, after a few hands you will be able to pick up on the basic subtleties of play simply enough. Since you have people wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and since such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha/8 provides an amazing array of betting possibilities and owing to the fact that you have numerous players shooting for the high, and a few battling for the low. If you love a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to compete in Omaha 8 or better.