Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is commonly viewed as one of the most complicated but favored poker games. It’s a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites play from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once irrelevant variation, has increased in popularity so amazingly.

Omaha/8 starts like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to each player. A sequence of wagering follows where players can bet, check, or drop out. Three cards are given out, this is known as the flop. A further sequence of wagering ensues. After all the gamblers have either called or folded, an additional card is flipped on the turn. Another round of wagering happens at which point the river card is revealed. The entrants will need to put together the strongest high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.

This is where some players can get confused. Contrasted to Texas Hold ‘Em, in which the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player has to utilize exactly three cards from the board, and exactly two hole cards. No more, not a single card less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot can be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."

A high hand is just what it sounds like. It’s the best hand out of everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the identical approach in nearly every poker game.

The lower hand is more complicated, but really free’s up the action. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the weakest hand that could be put together, with the worst being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and below. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there’s no lower hand presented, the higher hand takes the whole pot.

It may seem complex at the outset, following a few hands you will be able to get the basic subtleties of play simply enough. Seeing as you have people wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as so many cards are in play, Omaha hi/lo offers an overwhelming range of wagering possibilities and because you have numerous players trying for the high hand, and several trying for the low hand. If you enjoy a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it is worth your time to participate in Omaha/8.