Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most difficult but favored poker games. It’s a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for play from all levels of players. This is the main reason why a once obscure variation, has expanded in popularity so rapidly.

Omaha/8 begins just like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are given out to each player. A round of betting follows where gamblers can bet, check, or fold. 3 cards are given out, this is referred to as the flop. Another round of wagering ensues. Once all the players have either called or folded, an additional card is flipped on the turn. an additional sequence of wagering follows at which point the river card is flipped. The entrants will have to put together the best high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.

This is where a number of players get flustered. Unlike Texas Hold ‘Em, in which the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player must use exactly 3 cards on the board, and precisely two hole cards. No more, no less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are 2 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 strongest possible hand out of everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house. It is the very same concept in almost all poker games.

A lower hand is more complicated, but certainly opens up the play. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the worst hand that might be put together, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and lower. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there is no low hand available, the higher hand takes the complete pot.

It may seem complex initially, following a couple of hands you will be agile enough to pick up on the fundamental nuances of play with ease. Seeing as you have players wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as so many cards are in play, Omaha Hi-Lo offers an amazing array of betting choices and seeing that you have several individuals battling for the high hand, and many battling for the low. If you enjoy a game with a lot of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha hi lo.