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Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is commonly seen as one of the most difficult but popular poker games. It’s a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites action from all levels of players. This is the primary reason why a once irrelevant variation, has grown in popularity so quickly.

Omaha/8 begins exactly like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to every player. A round of betting follows where gamblers can bet, check, or fold. Three cards are given out, this is known as the flop. Another sequence of wagering ensues. Once all the players have either called or dropped out, an additional card is revealed on the turn. Another sequence of wagering follows and then the river card is flipped. The players will have to put together the best high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.

This is the point where a few players can get confused. Contrasted to Texas Hold ‘Em, where the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player has to use exactly three cards on the board, and exactly two cards from their hand. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot may be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."

A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It is the best possible hand out of every player’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the very same notion in almost every poker game.

A low hand is more complex, but really free’s up the action. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that could be put together, with the lowest value being A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and below. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there is no low hand presented, the high hand takes the whole pot.

It may seem difficult initially, following a few hands you will be agile enough to pick up on the basic nuances of the game with ease. Since you have players betting for the low and wagering for the high, and since such a large number of cards are being used at the same time, Omaha/8 provides an overwhelming assortment of wagering choices and owing to the fact that you have numerous individuals shooting for the high hand, along with several trying for the low hand. If you like a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha/8.