Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is commonly seen as one of the most complex but popular poker games. It is a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites play from all levels of players. This is the primary reason why a once irrelevant game, has grown in acceptance so amazingly.

Omaha 8 or better starts like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to every player. A sequence of wagering ensues in which players can wager, check, or fold. 3 cards are handed out, this is called the flop. A further round of wagering ensues. After all the gamblers have in turn called or folded, a further card is flipped on the turn. an additional round of betting happens and then the river card is flipped. The players will need to put together the strongest high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.

This is the point where a number of entrants can get flustered. Unlike Holdem, where the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player must utilize exactly 3 cards on the board, and precisely 2 cards from their hand. No more, no less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot may be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."

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

A low hand is more complicated, but certainly free’s up the play. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the worst hand that can be put together, with the worst being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and smaller. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there’s no low hand presented, the high hand takes the entire pot.

It may seem complex at the start, following a couple of hands you will be able to get the fundamental nuances of the game with ease. Since you have individuals betting for the low and wagering for the high, and since so many cards are in play, Omaha 8 or better offers an amazing assortment of betting options and seeing that you have numerous players shooting for the high, along with several trying for the low hand. If you enjoy a game with a lot of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to compete in Omaha/8.