Omaha

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Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most difficult but favored poker games. It’s a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites action from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once obscure game, has expanded in popularity so rapidly.

Omaha/8 starts exactly like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to every player. A sequence of wagering ensues where players can wager, check, or drop out. Three cards are dealt out, this is known as the flop. One more round of wagering ensues. After all the players have in turn called or dropped out, another card is flipped on the turn. a further round of wagering happens at which point the river card is revealed. The players will need to put together the best high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.

This is where many players often get confused. Unlike Texas Holdem, in which the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player must use precisely three cards on the board, and precisely 2 cards from their hand. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot might be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."

A high hand is just what it sounds like. It is the strongest possible hand out of everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house. It is the same concept in just about every poker game.

The low hand is more complex, but really opens up the play. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that can be made, with the lowest value being A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and smaller. The low hand wins half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there is no low hand presented, the higher hand takes the complete pot.

It may seem complex initially, after a couple of rounds you will be able to pick up on the base nuances of play with ease. Seeing as you have individuals betting for the low and betting for the high, and since so many cards are being used at the same time, Omaha Hi-Lo provides an exciting range of betting choices and because you have numerous individuals trying for the high hand, along with many battling for the low hand. If you like a game with a lot of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to play Omaha 8 or better.