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Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most complex but well-loved poker games. It is a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites play from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once obscure game, has increased in acceptance so amazingly.

Omaha/8 begins exactly like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to every player. A sequence of wagering ensues in which gamblers can wager, check, or fold. Three cards are handed out, this is known as the flop. Another round of wagering ensues. After all the players have either called or folded, a further card is flipped on the turn. Another sequence of wagering follows at which point the river card is flipped. The players will need to put together the best high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.

This is where a few players get flustered. Unlike Hold’em, in which the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player has to use exactly 3 cards from the board, and precisely 2 hole cards. No more, not a single card less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot could be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."

A high hand is just how it sounds. It’s the strongest possible hand out of everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the very same approach in nearly all poker games.

The lower hand is more complicated, but certainly opens up the play. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that could be put together, with the lowest value being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and smaller. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there’s no low hand available, the high hand wins the whole pot.

It may seem difficult initially, after a couple of hands you will be able to pick up on the fundamental nuances of the game with ease. Seeing as you have individuals wagering for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as so many cards are in play, Omaha 8 or better provides an overwhelming array of betting choices and seeing that you have several individuals shooting for the high hand, along with several shooting for the low. If you prefer a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it is worth your time to compete in Omaha 8 or better.