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Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is commonly viewed as one of the most difficult but well-loved poker games. It’s a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites action from all levels of players. This is the chief reason why a once invisible variation, has increased in acceptance so rapidly.

Omaha/8 starts exactly like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to every player. A sequence of betting ensues where gamblers can wager, check, or drop out. Three cards are dealt out, this is called the flop. A further sequence of wagering ensues. Once all the gamblers have either called or folded, a further card is flipped on the turn. Another round of betting follows at which point the river card is flipped. The gamblers must attempt to make the best high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.

This is where a number of entrants often get baffled. Contrasted to Hold’em, in which the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi low the player must utilize exactly 3 cards on the board, and precisely two hole cards. No more, not a single card less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot might be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."

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

The lower hand is more difficult, but certainly opens up the play. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that could be put together, with the worst being made up of 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 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. The low hand wins half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there’s no low hand presented, the high hand wins the complete pot.

Although it seems complex at first, following a few hands you will be able to get the fundamental nuances of play simply enough. Seeing as you have individuals wagering for the low and betting for the high, and since so many cards are being used at once, Omaha hi/low offers an overwhelming collection of wagering options and seeing that you have several players shooting for the high, and several trying for the low. If you prefer a game with a lot of outs and actions, it is worth your time to participate in Omaha/8.