Poker

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Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times viewed as one of the most complex but popular poker games. 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 invisible variation, has expanded in acceptance so rapidly.

Omaha hi/lo begins just like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to every player. A round of betting follows where players can wager, check, or drop out. 3 cards are given out, this is known as the flop. One more round of wagering ensues. Once all the players have in turn called or folded, a further card is flipped on the turn. an additional round of wagering ensues and then the river card is revealed. The entrants will need to put together the strongest high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.

This is where a few players get flustered. Contrasted to Hold’em, in which the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi lo the player has to use exactly 3 cards on the board, and exactly 2 cards from their hand. No more, no less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot might be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."

A high hand is just what it sounds like. It is the strongest possible hand out of everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the same approach in almost every poker game.

A low hand is more complex, but really free’s up the play. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the weakest hand that might be put together, with the lowest value being made up of 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 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and smaller. The low hand wins half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there’s no low hand presented, the high hand wins the entire pot.

While it seems complex at the outset, following a couple of rounds you will be agile enough to pick up on the basic subtleties of play with ease. Seeing as you have players wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and since such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha 8 or better offers an overwhelming range of wagering possibilities and owing to the fact that you have several individuals battling for the high, as well as a few trying for the low. If you love a game with a lot of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha/8.