Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is frequently viewed as one of the most complicated but favored poker variations. It’s a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites action from all levels of players. This is the chief reason why a once irrelevant variation, has expanded in acceptance so amazingly.

Omaha/8 starts just like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to every player. A round of betting follows where gamblers can wager, check, or drop out. Three cards are handed out, this is referred to as the flop. A further sequence of betting happens. Once all the players have in turn called or folded, an additional card is revealed on the turn. an additional round of wagering happens at which point the river card is revealed. The gamblers will need to make the best high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.

This is where many players get baffled. Contrasted to Hold’em, in which the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi low the player has to utilize exactly 3 cards from the board, and precisely 2 hole cards. No more, not a single card less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot can be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."

A high hand is just what it sounds like. It’s the strongest hand out of every player’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the same concept in nearly all poker games.

The low hand is more complicated, but really opens up the action. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the worst hand that might be put together, with the lowest being A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and lower. The low hand takes half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there’s no lower hand available, the high hand takes the whole pot.

It may seem complicated at the start, following a couple of hands you will be able to get the basic nuances of play with ease. Since you have players betting for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are being used at once, Omaha/8 offers an overwhelming range of betting options and owing to the fact that you have many players shooting for the high, along with a few trying for the low. If you prefer a game with a lot of outs and actions, it is worth your time to compete in Omaha hi lo.