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Omaha Hi-Lo: General Overview

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Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is commonly seen as one of the most complex but popular poker games. It is a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for play from all levels of players. This is the chief reason why a once irrelevant game, has expanded in acceptance so rapidly.

Omaha hi lo begins like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to each player. A round of betting follows in which players can wager, check, or fold. Three cards are given out, this is known as the flop. One more round of wagering ensues. After all the players have either called or dropped out, an additional card is revealed on the turn. a further round of wagering happens and then the river card is flipped. The players will have to put together the best high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.

This is where a number of entrants can get confused. Contrasted to Holdem, in which the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi low the player must use precisely three cards from the board, and exactly two cards from their hand. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot can be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."

A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It’s the best hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the identical concept in almost every poker game.

A low hand is more difficult, but really opens up the play. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that can be put together, with the lowest value being A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and lower. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there’s no lower hand presented, the higher hand wins the entire pot.

It may seem difficult initially, after a couple of hands you will be able to get the basic nuances of the game with ease. Since you have individuals betting for the low and wagering for the high, and since such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha 8 or better provides an exciting assortment of wagering options and seeing that you have many players trying for the high, along with a few shooting for the low hand. If you enjoy a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to participate in Omaha hi/lo.