Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most complicated but favored poker variations. It’s a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites play from every level of players. This is the main reason why a once obscure variation, has expanded in popularity so rapidly.
Omaha hi lo begins exactly like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to each player. A round of wagering ensues where gamblers can bet, check, or drop out. 3 cards are handed out, this is called the flop. A further round of betting happens. Once all the gamblers have either called or folded, an additional card is revealed on the turn. an additional sequence of betting ensues at which point the river card is revealed. The players will have to put together the strongest high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is the point where some players often get flustered. Contrasted to Hold’em, where the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi lo the player has to use exactly 3 cards from the board, and precisely two cards from their hand. No more, not a single card less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot may be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It is the strongest possible hand out of everyone’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the very same concept in almost every poker game.
The lower hand is more complex, but really free’s up the action. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the weakest hand that could be made, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there’s no lower hand available, the higher hand wins the whole pot.
It may seem difficult at first, following a couple of hands you will be agile enough to get the fundamental nuances of play easily enough. Since you have individuals betting for the low and wagering for the high, and since such a large number of cards are being used at the same time, Omaha hi lo provides an amazing collection of wagering options and because you have several individuals trying for the high hand, and a few battling for the low hand. If you love a game with a lot of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha High-Low.
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