Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is frequently viewed as one of the most difficult but popular poker variations. It’s a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites play from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once obscure game, has grown in popularity so rapidly.
Omaha hi/low begins exactly like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to each player. A round of wagering follows where players can bet, check, or drop out. Three cards are given out, this is called the flop. Another round of betting ensues. Once all the gamblers have in turn called or folded, another card is revealed on the turn. Another sequence of betting happens at which point the river card is revealed. The gamblers must attempt to put together the best high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where a few players can get baffled. Contrasted to Texas Hold ‘Em, in which the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi low the player must utilize exactly 3 cards from the board, and exactly two cards from their hand. Not a single card more, no less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot could be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It’s the strongest hand out of everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the identical concept in almost every poker game.
The lower hand is more difficult, but certainly free’s up the play. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the worst hand that can be made, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and below. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there is no low hand presented, the higher hand takes the complete pot.
It may seem difficult at the start, following a few hands you will be agile enough to get the basic subtleties of play simply enough. Seeing as you have people 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 8 or better offers an amazing array of betting choices and owing to the fact that you have several players battling for the high hand, and many battling for the low. If you enjoy a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha hi/low.
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