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Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is often times viewed as one of the most complex but well-loved poker games. It’s a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for action from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once obscure game, has expanded in acceptance so quickly.

Omaha/8 starts just like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to each player. A sequence of betting follows where gamblers can bet, check, or drop out. 3 cards are handed out, this is known as the flop. One more sequence of betting ensues. Once all the players have either called or folded, an additional card is revealed on the turn. Another round of betting ensues at which point the river card is flipped. The gamblers must attempt to put together the best high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.

This is where many players get flustered. Unlike Texas Hold ‘Em, in which the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi/low the player must utilize precisely three cards from the board, and precisely 2 hole cards. Not a single card more, no less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot may be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."

A high hand is just what it sounds like. It is the best possible hand out of every player’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house. It is the same approach in almost all poker games.

A low hand is more difficult, but certainly free’s up the play. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the weakest hand that can be put together, with the lowest value 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 low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and smaller. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there is no lower hand available, the higher hand wins the entire pot.

It may seem difficult initially, after a couple of hands you will be agile enough to pick up on the base nuances of play simply enough. Since you have people wagering for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as so many cards are being used at once, Omaha High-Low provides an overwhelming array of betting possibilities and seeing that you have several players shooting for the high, and several shooting for the low. If you prefer a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha/8.