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Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is often times viewed as one of the most difficult but well-loved poker games. It is a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for action from every level of players. This is the main reason why a once invisible variation, has grown in popularity so quickly.

Omaha 8 or better starts just like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to each player. A sequence of betting follows where gamblers can wager, check, or drop out. Three cards are given out, this is referred to as the flop. One more round of betting happens. After all the gamblers have either called or folded, another card is flipped on the turn. Another round of betting follows at which point the river card is flipped. The gamblers will have to make the best high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.

This is where a few entrants can get confused. Unlike Holdem, where the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi lo the player must utilize precisely 3 cards from the board, and exactly 2 cards from their hand. No more, not a single card less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot can be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."

A high hand is just how it sounds. It’s the best possible hand out of every player’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the same concept in almost all poker games.

The low hand is more complicated, but certainly free’s up the action. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the weakest hand that might be made, with the lowest being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and lower. The low hand wins half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there is no low hand available, the higher hand wins the whole pot.

While it seems complex at first, following a few rounds you will be agile enough to get the fundamental subtleties of the game with ease. Since you have individuals wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha hi lo offers an overwhelming collection of betting choices and seeing that you have numerous players trying for the high, and a few shooting for the low hand. If you like a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to play Omaha 8 or better.