Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times viewed as one of the most complicated but popular poker games. It is a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites action from all levels of players. This is the chief reason why a once irrelevant game, has expanded in popularity so rapidly.

Omaha 8 or better begins exactly like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are given out to every player. A round of betting follows where players can bet, check, or drop out. 3 cards are dealt out, this is called the flop. A further sequence of betting happens. After all the gamblers have either called or folded, a further card is flipped on the turn. an additional round of wagering ensues at which point the river card is revealed. The gamblers must attempt to put together the strongest high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.

This is where a number of players can get baffled. Contrasted to Hold’em, in which the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi lo the player must use precisely three cards from the board, and precisely two hole cards. No more, not a single card less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot may be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."

A high hand is just what it sounds like. It’s the best possible hand out of everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the same concept in almost every poker game.

A low hand is more difficult, but really opens up the action. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that might be put together, with the worst being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and lower. The low hand takes half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there’s no lower hand available, the higher hand takes the whole pot.

It may seem complicated at first, after a few rounds you will be able to pick up on the fundamental nuances of play with ease. Seeing as you have players betting for the low and betting for the high, and since such a large number of cards are being used at once, Omaha hi/lo offers an overwhelming range of betting choices and because you have numerous players battling for the high, and many trying for the low. If you enjoy a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to play Omaha hi lo.