Omaha

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Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is frequently viewed as one of the most complicated but favored poker variations. It’s a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for action from every level of players. This is the main reason why a once irrelevant variation, has increased in popularity so amazingly.

Omaha 8 or better starts exactly like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are given out to every player. A round of betting ensues where gamblers can wager, check, or fold. 3 cards are given out, this is referred to as the flop. A further sequence of betting ensues. Once all the gamblers have either called or folded, an additional card is revealed on the turn. a further sequence of wagering happens and then the river card is flipped. 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 players often get flustered. Unlike Hold’em, where the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player has to utilize exactly 3 cards from the board, and precisely two cards from their hand. No more, no less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot could be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."

A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It’s the best possible hand out of everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the same notion in almost all poker games.

A low hand is more difficult, but really opens up the action. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes do not 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. Considering that straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and smaller. The low hand wins half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there’s no low hand available, the high hand wins the entire pot.

It may seem difficult initially, following a few hands you will be agile enough to pick up on the basic subtleties of play with ease. Seeing as you have players betting for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as so many cards are in play, Omaha 8 or better provides an exciting collection of betting possibilities and seeing that you have several individuals battling for the high, as well as several battling for the low hand. If you prefer a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to play Omaha hi lo.