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Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is commonly viewed as one of the most complicated but popular poker variations. It is a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites play from all levels of players. This is the primary reason why a once irrelevant game, has grown in popularity so rapidly.

Omaha/8 begins like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to every player. A round of betting ensues where gamblers can wager, check, or drop out. 3 cards are given out, this is known as the flop. Another round of betting happens. Once all the players have either called or folded, a further card is flipped on the turn. a further round of betting follows and then the river card is flipped. The gamblers will need to make the best high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.

This is the point where a number of entrants can get confused. Unlike Holdem, in which the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi/low the player must use exactly 3 cards on the board, and exactly two hole cards. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot could be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."

A high hand is just what it sounds like. It is the strongest possible hand out of everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the very same approach in almost all poker games.

A low hand is more complex, but certainly free’s up the play. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the weakest hand that can be made, with the lowest value being 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 8 and below. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there’s no lower hand available, the high hand takes the entire pot.

While it seems complicated initially, after a couple of hands you will be able to get the base subtleties of play with ease. Seeing as you have people betting for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as so many cards are being used at once, Omaha/8 offers an overwhelming collection of betting possibilities and seeing that you have numerous individuals trying for the high hand, and many trying for the low. If you love a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to play Omaha 8 or better.

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