Omaha Hi-Lo: Fundamental Outline


Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is commonly seen as one of the most difficult but favored poker variations. It is a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites play from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once irrelevant game, has increased in popularity so amazingly.

Omaha hi/low begins just like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to each player. A round of betting follows in which players can wager, check, or fold. Three cards are dealt out, this is called the flop. Another round of betting happens. Once all the players have in turn called or dropped out, a further card is flipped on the turn. a further sequence of betting follows at which point the river card is flipped. The players will need to make the best high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.

This is the point where many players get baffled. Contrasted to Texas Hold ‘Em, where the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi low the player has to use precisely three cards from the board, and exactly 2 cards from their hand. Not a single card more, no less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot can be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."

A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It’s the strongest possible hand out of everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the very same concept in almost all poker games.

The lower hand is more complicated, but really free’s up the action. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the worst hand that might be made, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and smaller. The low hand takes half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there’s no low hand presented, the higher hand takes the entire pot.

Although it seems complicated at the start, following a few rounds 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 betting for the high, and since so many cards are in play, Omaha 8 or better provides an amazing collection of wagering options and seeing that you have many players battling for the high hand, and a few shooting for the low. If you prefer a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to play Omaha/8.

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