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Omaha Hi Low: General Summary

Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times viewed as one of the most difficult but favored poker variations. It is a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites play from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once irrelevant game, has grown in acceptance so rapidly.

Omaha hi/lo begins just like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to every player. A round of betting ensues in which gamblers can wager, check, or drop out. 3 cards are given out, this is known as the flop. A further round of wagering ensues. After all the gamblers have either called or dropped out, a further card is flipped on the turn. a further sequence of wagering follows at which point the river card is flipped. The players will need to put together the strongest high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.

This is the point where a number of players often get flustered. Unlike Holdem, where the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi lo the player has to utilize precisely three cards on the board, and precisely two hole cards. Not a single card more, no less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot may be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."

A high hand is just what it sounds like. It is the best possible hand out of every player’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the very same concept in almost all poker games.

The low hand is more complex, but really opens up the play. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the weakest 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 smallest value hand possible. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and smaller. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there is no low hand presented, the high hand wins the complete pot.

While it seems difficult at the start, following a couple of hands you will be able to get the fundamental subtleties of the game simply 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 once, Omaha/8 provides an amazing array of wagering options and owing to the fact that you have numerous individuals battling for the high, along with many trying for the low. If you prefer a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to play Omaha 8 or better.