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Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is commonly viewed as one of the most complicated but favored poker variations. It’s a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites play from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once invisible game, has grown in acceptance so quickly.

Omaha/8 starts exactly like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to every player. A round of betting ensues in which players can bet, check, or fold. Three cards are handed out, this is called the flop. One more round of betting ensues. After all the players have in turn called or dropped out, a further card is revealed on the turn. Another round of wagering follows at which point the river card is revealed. The players will need to make the strongest high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.

This is the point where many players often get flustered. Contrasted to Texas Holdem, where the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player has to use exactly 3 cards from the board, and precisely 2 cards from their hand. No more, not a single card less. Contrary to normal 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 is the best hand out of everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house. It is the very same notion in almost every poker game.

A lower hand is more complicated, but really free’s up the action. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the worst hand that might be made, with the lowest being A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and below. The low hand takes half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there’s no lower hand available, the higher hand wins the entire pot.

It may seem difficult initially, following a couple of rounds you will be agile enough to pick up on the base subtleties of play simply enough. Since you have people betting for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are being used at the same time, Omaha/8 offers an amazing range of betting options and seeing that you have numerous individuals shooting for the high, and several shooting for the low hand. If you like a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to play Omaha 8 or better.