Omaha Hi Lo: Fundamental Outline

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Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is commonly viewed as one of the most complicated but favored poker variations. It’s a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites play from every level of players. This is the main reason why a once obscure game, has increased in popularity so rapidly.

Omaha/8 begins exactly like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to every player. A round of betting ensues in which players can bet, check, or drop out. Three cards are given out, this is called the flop. One more sequence of betting ensues. After all the players have in turn called or dropped out, an additional card is flipped on the turn. a further sequence of betting ensues at which point the river card is flipped. The entrants will have to make the strongest high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.

This is where many entrants often get flustered. Unlike Texas Holdem, in which the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player has to utilize exactly three cards on the board, and exactly 2 cards from their hand. 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 exactly how it sounds. It’s the best possible hand out of every player’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house. It is the same notion in nearly every poker game.

The lower hand is more difficult, but certainly free’s up the play. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that could be put together, with the lowest value being A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and below. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there is no low hand presented, the higher hand takes the entire pot.

It may seem complicated at the outset, following a couple of rounds you will be able to get the fundamental nuances of the game with ease. Seeing as you have people betting for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as so many cards are in play, Omaha hi lo offers an overwhelming collection of wagering possibilities and owing to the fact that you have numerous players shooting for the high hand, as well as many trying for the low. If you like a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha 8 or better.