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Omaha Hi Low: Basic Overview

Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is commonly viewed as one of the most complex but favored poker games. It is a game 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 grown in popularity so rapidly.

Omaha hi lo begins just like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to every player. A sequence of betting ensues in which gamblers can wager, check, or drop out. Three cards are handed out, this is called the flop. One more sequence of betting happens. Once all the gamblers have either called or folded, an additional card is revealed on the turn. a further round of wagering follows and then the river card is flipped. The gamblers will have to make the best high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.

This is where some players can get baffled. Unlike Texas Hold ‘Em, where the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player must use precisely 3 cards from the board, and exactly two cards from their hand. No more, not a single card less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot could be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."

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

The lower hand is more complex, but certainly opens up the play. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that might be put together, with the lowest being made up of 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 eight and lower. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there’s no lower hand available, the higher hand wins the entire pot.

It may seem complicated at first, after a few hands you will be able to pick up on the fundamental subtleties of the game with ease. Seeing as you have people wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha 8 or better offers an overwhelming collection of betting options and seeing that you have many players shooting for the high hand, and many battling for the low hand. If you prefer a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it is worth your time to participate in Omaha hi low.