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Omaha Hi Low: Fundamental Outline

Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is commonly viewed as one of the most complicated but favored poker variations. It is a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for play from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once irrelevant variation, has grown in acceptance so quickly.

Omaha Hi-Lo begins exactly like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to each player. A sequence of betting follows where gamblers can wager, check, or drop out. 3 cards are given out, this is called the flop. Another round of betting happens. Once all the gamblers have either called or folded, a further card is flipped on the turn. a further round of wagering ensues at which point the river card is revealed. The entrants will need to make the strongest high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.

This is the point where many players can get flustered. Unlike Texas Holdem, in which the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi low the player has to utilize exactly three cards on the board, and exactly two 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 "lower hand."

A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It’s the strongest possible hand out of everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house. It is the same concept in just about all poker games.

The lower hand is more complex, but really free’s up the action. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the worst hand that might be put together, with the lowest value being made up of 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 8 and below. The low hand wins half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there’s no low hand available, the higher hand wins the whole pot.

It may seem difficult initially, after a couple of hands you will be agile enough to get the base subtleties of play simply enough. Seeing as you have players betting for the low and betting for the high, and since such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha 8 or better offers an exciting range of wagering possibilities and seeing that you have numerous players battling for the high, and several trying for the low hand. If you prefer a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it is worth your time to compete in Omaha 8 or better.