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Omaha Hi/Low: General Overview

Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is commonly seen as one of the most complicated but well-loved poker games. It’s a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites play from all levels of players. This is the main reason why a once obscure game, has grown in popularity so quickly.

Omaha hi/low begins like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to every player. A sequence of wagering ensues in which gamblers can bet, check, or fold. 3 cards are handed out, this is called the flop. One more round of betting ensues. After all the players have in turn called or dropped out, another card is flipped on the turn. Another sequence of wagering follows at which point the river card is revealed. The players must attempt to make the strongest high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.

This is where some entrants can get confused. Contrasted to Texas Holdem, in which the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player has to utilize exactly 3 cards from the board, and exactly two hole cards. Not a single card more, no less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot might be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."

A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It is the strongest hand out of everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the very same approach in almost all poker games.

The low hand is more complicated, 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 could be made, with the lowest being A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and below. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there’s no low hand presented, the higher hand wins the whole pot.

While it seems complex initially, following a few hands you will be agile enough to get the basic nuances of the game with ease. Seeing as you have players betting for the low and wagering for the high, and since such a large number of cards are being used at once, Omaha/8 offers an amazing range of betting options and owing to the fact that you have many individuals shooting for the high, along with a few battling for the low hand. If you enjoy a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to play Omaha 8 or better.

Posted in Poker.


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