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

Omaha 8 or better begins exactly like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to each player. A sequence of betting follows where gamblers can bet, check, or fold. 3 cards are given out, this is referred to as the flop. A further round of wagering happens. After all the gamblers have either called or dropped out, another card is revealed on the turn. a further round of wagering follows and then the river card is flipped. The entrants will have to make the strongest high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.

This is the point where many entrants can get confused. Unlike Holdem, in which the board can make up every player's hand, in Omaha hi low the player has to utilize precisely three cards on the board, and precisely 2 cards from their hand. Not a single card more, no less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot could be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."

A high hand is just what it sounds like. It's the strongest hand out of every player's, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house. It's the same concept in nearly every poker game.

The low hand is more difficult, 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. Since straights and flushes don't count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and smaller. The low hand wins half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there's no lower hand available, the higher hand takes the complete pot.

While it seems complex at first, following a couple of rounds you will be able to pick up on the basic subtleties of the game with ease. Seeing as you have players betting for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha 8 or better provides an overwhelming collection of betting possibilities and seeing that you have several individuals battling for the high hand, along with a few shooting for the low hand. If you love a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it's not a waste of your time to play Omaha hi-low.