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Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is commonly viewed as one of the most difficult but popular poker variations. It's a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for action from every level of players. This is the main reason why a once invisible game, has grown in acceptance so rapidly.

Omaha/8 begins exactly like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are given out to every player. A round of wagering follows in which players can bet, check, or fold. Three cards are given out, this is known as the flop. A further sequence of betting ensues. After all the gamblers have in turn called or dropped out, another card is flipped on the turn. Another round of betting happens at which point the river card is flipped. The entrants will need to put together the best high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.

This is where some players can get flustered. Unlike Holdem, where the board can make up everyone's hand, in Omaha hi lo the player must utilize precisely 3 cards on the board, and precisely two hole cards. Not a single card more, no less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot might be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."

A high hand is just what it sounds like. It is the best hand out of every player's, it doesn't matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It's the identical approach in just about all poker games.

The lower hand is more complex, but really opens up the play. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes don't count. A low hand is the weakest hand that could be made, with the worst being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and lower. The low hand wins half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there is no low hand presented, the higher hand takes the whole pot.

It may seem complicated initially, after a couple of hands you will be agile enough to get the fundamental nuances of play easily enough. Seeing as you have players wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and since so many cards are being used at the same time, Omaha/8 offers an overwhelming array of betting possibilities and because you have many individuals trying for the high hand, along with a few shooting for the low hand. If you love a game with a lot of outs and actions, it's not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha/8.