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Omaha Hi Low: Fundamental Overview

Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most difficult but well-loved poker variations. It’s a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites action from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once invisible variation, has grown in acceptance so amazingly.

Omaha hi/low begins exactly like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are given out to every player. A sequence of wagering ensues where gamblers can bet, check, or drop out. 3 cards are given out, this is referred to as the flop. Another sequence of betting ensues. After all the players have either called or folded, another card is revealed on the turn. an additional round of wagering ensues at which point the river card is revealed. The gamblers must attempt to make the best high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.

This is the point where a number of players get flustered. Contrasted to Texas Holdem, where the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player must use exactly 3 cards from the board, and exactly two hole cards. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot can be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."

A high hand is just what it sounds like. It’s the best hand out of everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the identical notion in nearly all poker games.

A lower hand is more complex, but really free’s up the play. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the weakest hand that can be put together, with the lowest being A-2-3-4-5. Considering that 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 below. The low hand takes half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there’s no low hand presented, the higher hand wins the complete pot.

While it seems complex at the outset, after a few hands you will be agile enough to get the base subtleties of play easily enough. Seeing as you have players betting for the low and wagering for the high, and since such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha/8 provides an amazing assortment of wagering options and owing to the fact that you have numerous players battling for the high, along with many trying for the low hand. If you enjoy a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it is worth your time to play Omaha hi/lo.