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Omaha Hi Low: General Summary

Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is commonly seen as one of the most complex but popular poker games. It’s a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for play from every level of players. This is the main reason why a once irrelevant variation, has grown in popularity so amazingly.

Omaha 8 or better begins like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to every player. A round of wagering ensues where gamblers can wager, check, or fold. 3 cards are dealt out, this is referred to as the flop. Another sequence of betting ensues. After all the players have in turn called or folded, a further card is flipped on the turn. Another sequence of betting follows and then the river card is revealed. The gamblers will need to make the best high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.

This is where many entrants can get baffled. Unlike Texas Hold ‘Em, in which the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi/low the player has to use precisely three cards on the board, and precisely 2 cards from their hand. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot can be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."

A high hand is just what it sounds like. It is the strongest hand out of every player’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house. It is the identical approach in just about every poker game.

A lower hand is more complex, but really opens up the play. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that might be put together, with the lowest value being A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and lower. The low hand wins half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there’s no lower hand presented, the high hand takes the complete pot.

While it seems complex at the outset, after a few hands you will be able to get the basic subtleties of the game with ease. Seeing as you have individuals betting for the low and betting for the high, and since so many cards are being used at once, Omaha 8 or better offers an exciting array of betting possibilities and seeing that you have many individuals battling for the high, as well as a few shooting for the low hand. If you enjoy a game with a lot of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to play Omaha/8.

 

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