Omaha

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Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is often times viewed as one of the most complex but popular poker games. It’s a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for action from every level of players. This is the main reason why a once invisible variation, has increased in acceptance so quickly.

Omaha hi low starts like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are given out to each player. A sequence of wagering ensues where gamblers can wager, check, or fold. Three cards are handed out, this is known as the flop. Another sequence of betting ensues. Once all the players have either called or folded, another card is revealed on the turn. Another round of wagering happens and then the river card is revealed. The entrants will have to make the best high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.

This is where some entrants often get confused. Unlike Hold’em, in which the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi lo the player must use exactly three cards from the board, and precisely 2 cards from their hand. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Unlike normal 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 possible hand out of every player’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house. It is the identical approach 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 do not count. A low hand is the worst hand that might be put together, with the lowest value being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes do not 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 just like the higher hand. When there is no low hand available, the higher hand takes the whole pot.

It may seem complex at the outset, after a couple of rounds you will be able to pick up on the fundamental nuances of the game easily enough. Seeing as you have people betting for the low and betting for the high, and since so many cards are being used at once, Omaha Hi-Lo provides an exciting collection of betting options and seeing that you have numerous players battling for the high, along with several battling for the low. If you prefer a game with a lot of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to compete in Omaha/8.