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Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is often times viewed as one of the most complicated but favored poker games. It's a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites action from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once invisible variation, has grown in popularity so quickly.

Omaha hi low starts just like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to each player. A round of wagering ensues in which gamblers can bet, check, or fold. Three cards are dealt out, this is called the flop. Another sequence of wagering happens. Once all the gamblers have either called or dropped out, an additional card is revealed on the turn. an additional sequence of wagering happens 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 some entrants get confused. Contrasted to Texas Hold 'Em, in which the board can make up everyone's hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player has to use exactly 3 cards on the board, and precisely two hole cards. No more, no less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot might be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."

A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It's the strongest possible hand out of every player's, it doesn't matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It's the same approach in nearly all poker games.

A lower hand is more complicated, but certainly opens up the play. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes don't count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that could be made, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes don't count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and smaller. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there's no lower hand available, the higher hand wins the complete pot.

It may seem complicated at first, after a couple of rounds you will be agile enough to get the basic nuances of play with ease. Since you have people wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are being used at once, Omaha 8 or better offers an exciting collection of wagering possibilities and seeing that you have many individuals shooting for the high hand, along with a few trying for the low. If you love a game with a lot of outs and actions, it is worth your time to play Omaha/8.