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Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is frequently viewed as one of the most complex but popular poker variations. It is a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for play from every level of players. This is the main reason why a once invisible game, has increased in popularity so rapidly.

Omaha Hi-Lo begins exactly like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are given out to every player. A round of betting ensues in which gamblers can bet, check, or drop out. Three cards are dealt out, this is known as the flop. One more round of betting happens. Once all the gamblers have in turn called or folded, a further card is revealed on the turn. Another sequence of wagering follows at which point the river card is flipped. The gamblers will have to put together the strongest high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.

This is where a few entrants can get confused. Contrasted to Texas Hold ‘Em, where the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player has to utilize precisely 3 cards on the board, and precisely two cards from their hand. No more, no less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot can be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."

A high hand is just what it sounds like. It is the best hand out of everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house. It is the same concept in nearly all poker games.

A lower hand is more complex, but really free’s up the action. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the worst hand that could be made, with the worst 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 five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there’s no low hand presented, the higher hand wins the whole pot.

It may seem complex at the start, after a couple of hands you will be able to get the basic nuances of the game simply enough. Seeing as you have players wagering for the low and betting for the high, and since so many cards are in play, Omaha/8 provides an exciting collection of wagering possibilities and seeing that you have several players shooting for the high, as well as several battling for the low. If you love a game with a lot of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to play Omaha 8 or better.