Omaha Hi Lo: Fundamental Overview


Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is commonly seen as one of the most complex but favored poker variations. It is a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for action from every level of players. This is the main reason why a once invisible game, has expanded in popularity so rapidly.

Omaha/8 begins just like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to each player. A sequence of wagering follows where players can bet, check, or drop out. 3 cards are given out, this is referred to as the flop. A further round of betting happens. After all the gamblers have either called or folded, another card is flipped on the turn. Another round of betting ensues at which point the river card is revealed. The entrants must attempt to make the best high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.

This is where a number of entrants can get baffled. Unlike Hold’em, where the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player has to utilize precisely three cards on the board, and precisely two hole cards. No more, not a single card less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot can be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."

A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It is the strongest possible hand out of everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house. It is the same concept in just about all poker games.

The low hand is more complex, but really free’s up the play. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that could be put together, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and below. The low hand wins half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there’s no low hand presented, the higher hand wins the entire pot.

It may seem complicated at first, following a few rounds you will be agile enough to pick up on the basic nuances of the game with ease. Since you have people wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and since such a large number of cards are being used at the same time, Omaha/8 offers an amazing assortment of betting possibilities and because you have numerous individuals shooting for the high hand, along with several trying for the low hand. If you enjoy a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it is worth your time to play Omaha/8.

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