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Omaha Hi-Lo: General Summary

Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most difficult but well-loved poker variations. It is a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites action from all levels of players. This is the chief reason why a once invisible game, has grown in acceptance so rapidly.

Omaha/8 starts exactly like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to each player. A round of betting ensues in which players can wager, check, or fold. Three cards are given out, this is known as the flop. One more sequence of wagering happens. After all the players have either called or dropped out, another card is revealed on the turn. a further sequence of wagering ensues and then the river card is revealed. The gamblers will need to make the best high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.

This is the point where some players can get flustered. Unlike Hold’em, where the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi lo the player has to utilize exactly three cards on the board, and exactly 2 cards from their hand. Not a single card more, no less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot might be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."

A high hand is just how it sounds. It is the strongest hand out of everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the same notion in almost every poker game.

The low hand is more complex, but really opens up the action. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the worst hand that could be put together, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and lower. The low hand takes half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there’s no low hand presented, the higher hand takes the complete pot.

It may seem complex initially, following a couple of hands you will be agile enough to pick up on the fundamental nuances of the game simply enough. Seeing as you have players betting for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as so many cards are being used at the same time, Omaha/8 provides an overwhelming array of wagering choices and owing to the fact that you have many individuals trying for the high, as well as many trying for the low hand. If you prefer a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha High-Low.