Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times viewed as one of the most difficult but favored poker games. It is a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for play from every level of players. This is the main reason why a once invisible variation, has expanded in acceptance so amazingly.
Omaha 8 or better begins like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to every player. A sequence of wagering ensues where gamblers can bet, check, or fold. 3 cards are given out, this is referred to as the flop. One more round of betting ensues. Once all the players have either called or folded, an additional card is flipped on the turn. an additional round of wagering follows and then the river card is revealed. The players must attempt to put together the best high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where a few entrants get confused. Unlike Texas Hold ‘Em, in which the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player must use precisely 3 cards on the board, and precisely 2 hole cards. No more, not a single card less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot can be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It’s the strongest hand out of everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house. It is the very same concept in just about all poker games.
The low hand is more complicated, but certainly opens up the action. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the weakest hand that could be made, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and lower. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there’s no low hand presented, the high hand wins the complete pot.
While it seems complicated at first, following a couple of hands you will be able to get the base nuances of play simply enough. Since you have individuals wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are being used at the same time, Omaha/8 provides an amazing collection of betting possibilities and owing to the fact that you have numerous players shooting for the high, along with a few battling for the low. If you love a game with a lot of outs and actions, it is worth your time to participate in Omaha 8 or better.
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