Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most complex but popular poker variations. It’s a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for play from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once invisible game, has grown in popularity so amazingly.
Omaha 8 or better begins just like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to every player. A round of wagering ensues where gamblers can wager, check, or drop out. 3 cards are dealt out, this is referred to as the flop. One more round of betting happens. After all the players have in turn called or folded, another card is revealed on the turn. Another sequence of wagering ensues at which point the river card is flipped. The gamblers will need to put together the best high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where a number of entrants can get confused. Unlike Texas Hold ‘Em, in which the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/low the player must use exactly three cards on the board, and precisely two cards from their hand. No more, no less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot could be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It’s the strongest possible hand out of everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the very same notion in nearly every poker game.
A low hand is more complex, but certainly opens up the action. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that can be made, with the lowest value being A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and smaller. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there’s no lower hand available, the higher hand takes the whole pot.
While it seems complex initially, following a couple of hands you will be agile enough to get the basic nuances of the game with ease. Seeing as you have individuals betting for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are being used at the same time, Omaha 8 or better offers an overwhelming assortment of betting options and seeing that you have many individuals trying for the high hand, along with several trying for the low hand. If you prefer a game with a lot of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to compete in Omaha/8.
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