Omaha Hi Lo: Basic Outline

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Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most complex but popular poker variations. It’s a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites action from all levels of players. This is the chief reason why a once obscure variation, has grown in popularity so rapidly.

Omaha hi/lo starts just like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to each player. A sequence of wagering follows in which gamblers can bet, check, or drop out. 3 cards are given out, this is called the flop. Another sequence of wagering happens. After all the gamblers have in turn called or dropped out, a further card is revealed on the turn. a further round of wagering happens and then the river card is flipped. The entrants will have to make the best high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.

This is where many players get confused. Unlike Texas Hold ‘Em, in which the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player must utilize precisely three cards on the board, and precisely two hole cards. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot might be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."

A high hand is just how it sounds. It’s the strongest possible hand out of every player’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the same concept in nearly every poker game.

A low hand is more complex, but really free’s up the action. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that could be put together, with the lowest value being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there is no low hand presented, the high hand takes the entire pot.

It may seem complicated at the outset, following a couple of hands you will be able to pick up on the basic nuances of play with ease. Seeing as you have individuals betting for the low and wagering for the high, and since such a large number of cards are being used at once, Omaha hi/low provides an exciting range of betting options and owing to the fact that you have many individuals trying for the high hand, as well as many shooting for the low. If you enjoy a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha/8.