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1. Physical requirements: You do not have to be able to see from one end of the table to the other, as you need to see only your cards and the flop. Along these lines, there is not a lot of memorization required in Omaha eight-or-better like there is in stud-type games, in which you must remember the cards that have been exposed. I find Omaha eight-or-better to be more relaxing to play than other games, which means I can play longer hours. (Of course, this is true with other flop games, also.)

2. Playable hands: With four cards dealt, there are six possible two-card combinations; therefore, players usually opt to play many more starting hands in Omaha eight-or-better than in hold’em. Good players can get away with playing lots of hands because of the size of the pots, making for a much more exciting and enjoyable game.

3. Multiway pots: Omaha eight-or-better pots are often multiway, rather than heads up or threehanded. This makes for a good return on your money when you win a pot.

4. Players’ skill: Bad and mediocre players often "draw dead" in Omaha eight-or-better. It is hard to resist drawing to second-nut flushes and second-nut lows. Action players are attracted to Omaha eight-or-better because of all the hands they can play and the size of the pots. It is difficult to learn to play Omaha eight-or-better well; I particularly enjoy playing Omaha eight-or-better with hold’em players, because they tend to overvalue overpairs and two-pair hands, and don’t realize the importance of drawing only to the nuts. Obviously, this benefits the better players.

5. Escaping with half the pot: You may start out drawing for either high or low and end up missing your draw, but still win half the pot. For instance, if your hand is A-2-J-Q and the flop is 10-9-4, you might miss the straight but catch two running low cards to win the low half of the pot. Similarly, the flop could come 9-8-4 and your nut-low draw could possibly result in your winning the high half if you miss the low but make a straight or backdoor flush.

1. Reprinted with permission, "Point, Counterpoint " by Linda Johnson, Card Player, Vol. 15/No.3, February 1, 2002.