Omaha looks like a tricky game, but boy there's a lot of betting going on. The good news is that Omaha is basically Holdem with four hole cards. The only tricky rule to remember is that you MUST use two of your hole cards and three community cards to make your hand.

Omaha High low is a split pot game where the best high hand and the best low hand (if there is one) split the pot. There isn't always a low hand because you have to have five unpaired cards under 8 (aces low) to count as a valid low.

Here's how an Omaha 8 or better game goes:

1) The player to the left of the dealer posts the small blind (half a small bet).
2) The player to the left of the small blind posts the big blind (one small bet).
3) Everyone is dealt four cards face down. These are their hole cards.
4) The player to the left of the big blind (under the gun) starts the pre flop betting round.
5) Three cards are dealt face up in the middle. This is the flop. The cards in the middle are the community cards, or board.
6) There is a round of betting, started by the first active player to the left of the dealer.
7) One card is dealt face up in the middle. This is the turn.
8) There is a round of betting (in limit games, bets are now twice the size of the first two rounds).
9) One last card is dealt face up in the middle. This is the [damn] river, and usually ruins someone's hand and makes someone else's.
10) There is one final round of betting.
11) All active players show their hands down.
 

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