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Omaha Hi/Lo: Fundamental Outline

Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is often times seen as one of the most difficult but popular poker variations. It’s a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for play from all levels of players. This is the chief reason why a once obscure game, has expanded in acceptance so rapidly.

Omaha 8 or better starts just like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to each player. A round of betting follows where gamblers can wager, check, or fold. Three cards are dealt out, this is called the flop. A further sequence of betting happens. Once all the gamblers have either called or folded, another card is flipped on the turn. an additional sequence of wagering follows and then the river card is revealed. The gamblers must attempt to put together the strongest high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.

This is the point where a number of players can get confused. Contrasted to Holdem, in which the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi low the player must use precisely three cards on the board, and precisely 2 hole cards. No more, not a single card less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot may be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."

A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It’s the strongest possible hand out of everyone’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the very same notion in almost all poker games.

A low hand is more difficult, but really free’s up the play. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the worst hand that can be made, with the worst being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Because 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 eight and below. The low hand takes half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there’s no lower hand presented, the high hand wins the whole pot.

It may seem difficult at the start, after a couple of rounds you will be agile enough to pick up on the basic nuances of the game with ease. Since you have individuals wagering for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as so many cards are being used at the same time, Omaha Hi-Lo offers an amazing range of betting options and seeing that you have many individuals battling for the high hand, and several shooting for the low. If you enjoy a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to participate in Omaha hi/low.