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Omaha Hi-Lo: General Outline

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Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is commonly seen as one of the most difficult but well-loved poker variations. It is a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites action from all levels of players. This is the primary reason why a once irrelevant variation, has increased in popularity so quickly.

Omaha hi lo starts exactly like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to every player. A sequence of betting ensues where gamblers can wager, check, or drop out. 3 cards are handed out, this is called the flop. One more round of betting ensues. After all the players have in turn called or folded, a further card is revealed on the turn. an additional sequence of betting happens and then the river card is revealed. The entrants will have to make the strongest high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.

This is the point where some entrants often get confused. Unlike Texas Hold ‘Em, in which the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/low the player must utilize precisely 3 cards on the board, and precisely two hole cards. No more, no less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot may be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."

A high hand is just how it sounds. It is the best hand out of every player’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house. It is the same approach in just about every poker game.

A low hand is more complicated, but certainly free’s up the play. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that can be put together, with the lowest value being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and lower. The low hand takes half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there’s no low hand available, the higher hand takes the complete pot.

It may seem complex at the outset, after a few rounds you will be able to pick up on the basic subtleties of the game easily enough. Seeing as you have players wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as so many cards are being used at once, Omaha/8 provides an amazing collection of betting possibilities and because you have many players battling for the high, as well as several battling for the low hand. If you prefer a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to play Omaha hi lo.