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Omaha Hi/Lo: General Overview

Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times viewed as one of the most complex but favored poker games. It is a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites play from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once obscure game, has grown in acceptance so amazingly.

Omaha hi lo begins like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to each player. A sequence of wagering follows where gamblers can wager, check, or drop out. 3 cards are given out, this is referred to as the flop. Another round of betting happens. Once all the players have either called or folded, a further card is flipped on the turn. an additional round of wagering happens and then the river card is flipped. The entrants must attempt to put together the best high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.

This is where many entrants can get flustered. Unlike Texas Hold ‘Em, in which the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi lo the player must use exactly 3 cards on the board, and exactly 2 cards from their hand. No more, not a single card less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot may be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."

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

The lower hand is more complex, but certainly free’s up the action. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that can be made, with the lowest 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 lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and smaller. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there is no low hand available, the high hand takes the whole pot.

It may seem complicated at first, following a couple of hands you will be agile enough to pick up on the basic nuances of play with ease. Since you have individuals wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as so many cards are in play, Omaha Hi-Lo offers an amazing collection of wagering choices and seeing that you have several players trying for the high, as well as a few battling for the low. If you like a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to play Omaha 8 or better.

 

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