Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is commonly viewed as one of the most difficult but favored poker games. It’s a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for play from all levels of players. This is the chief reason why a once invisible game, has expanded in popularity so quickly.
Omaha Hi-Lo begins exactly like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to each player. A sequence of wagering ensues where gamblers can bet, check, or fold. Three cards are dealt out, this is referred to as the flop. One more round of wagering happens. After all the players have either called or dropped out, a further card is flipped on the turn. Another sequence of wagering ensues at which point the river card is revealed. The gamblers will have to make the best high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is the point where a number of players get baffled. Unlike Hold’em, in which the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi/low the player must utilize exactly three cards on the board, and exactly two cards from their hand. Not a single card more, no less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot might 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 everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the same concept in just about all poker games.
The low hand is more difficult, but certainly opens up the play. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the weakest hand that could be put together, with the worst being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there is no low hand presented, the higher hand wins the complete pot.
While it seems complex at the start, following a couple of rounds you will be able to get the base nuances of the game simply enough. Seeing as you have people wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and since so many cards are being used at the same time, Omaha hi/lo provides an overwhelming collection of wagering choices and because you have many individuals trying for the high, and many shooting for the low hand. If you love a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it is worth your time to play Omaha 8 or better.
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