Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is often times viewed as one of the most difficult but popular poker games. It is a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites action from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once invisible game, has grown in acceptance so quickly.

Omaha/8 starts just like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to each player. A round of betting ensues where gamblers can bet, check, or drop out. 3 cards are handed out, this is referred to as the flop. One more round of betting happens. Once all the gamblers have either called or dropped out, an additional card is flipped on the turn. Another sequence of betting ensues at which point the river card is flipped. The entrants will have to make the best high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.

This is where some entrants often get flustered. Unlike Texas Holdem, where the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi lo the player must use exactly 3 cards from the board, and exactly two hole cards. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot might be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."

A high hand is just what it sounds like. It’s the best hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the identical notion in almost all poker games.

A low hand is more difficult, but really opens up the action. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that can be put together, with the lowest being A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and lower. The low hand takes half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there’s no low hand available, the higher hand wins the whole pot.

While it seems complicated at the outset, after a couple of rounds you will be able to get the fundamental subtleties of play easily enough. Seeing as you have players betting for the low and wagering for the high, and since such a large number of cards are being used at once, Omaha 8 or better offers an amazing range of betting options and owing to the fact that you have numerous individuals battling for the high, and a few shooting for the low. If you like a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it is worth your time to compete in Omaha 8 or better.