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Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is often times seen as one of the most difficult but favored poker games. It is a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for play from every level of players. This is the main reason why a once invisible variation, has increased in acceptance so quickly.

Omaha 8 or better starts just like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to each player. A sequence of betting follows where gamblers can wager, check, or drop out. Three cards are handed out, this is known as the flop. One more sequence of wagering happens. After all the gamblers have either called or dropped out, an additional card is flipped on the turn. a further round of wagering follows at which point the river card is revealed. The entrants will need to make the best high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.

This is where many entrants can get flustered. Unlike Texas Holdem, where the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/low the player must use precisely three cards from the board, and exactly 2 cards from their hand. Not a single card more, no less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot can be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."

A high hand is just how it sounds. It is the best hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the same concept in almost all poker games.

A low hand is more complicated, but really opens up the play. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that can be put together, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Since 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 smaller. The low hand takes half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there is no lower hand presented, the higher hand takes the complete pot.

While it seems difficult at the outset, following a couple of hands you will be agile enough to get the basic subtleties of play with ease. Since you have players wagering for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha 8 or better provides an exciting array of betting options and because you have numerous individuals trying for the high, and many shooting for the low. If you like a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it is worth your time to play Omaha/8.