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

Omaha/8 starts like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to every player. A sequence of betting follows in which gamblers can bet, check, or fold. Three cards are dealt out, this is referred to as the flop. A further sequence of wagering ensues. After all the players have either called or dropped out, an additional card is revealed on the turn. Another round of wagering happens and then the river card is revealed. The entrants must attempt to put together the best high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.

This is the point where many players get confused. Unlike Texas Holdem, in which the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi low the player must use precisely three cards on the board, and precisely 2 hole cards. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot might be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."

A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It is the best possible hand out of every player’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the very same concept in nearly every poker game.

A lower hand is more complicated, but certainly free’s up the play. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the worst hand that could be put together, with the lowest being A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and smaller. The low hand wins half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there is no low hand presented, the high hand takes the entire pot.

While it seems complex at the start, after a couple of rounds you will be able to pick up on the base subtleties of the game with ease. Seeing as you have individuals wagering for the low and betting for the high, and since such a large number of cards are being used at once, Omaha 8 or better offers an exciting assortment of betting possibilities and seeing that you have numerous players shooting for the high hand, as well as several shooting for the low hand. If you enjoy a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it is worth your time to compete in Omaha 8 or better.