Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is commonly seen as one of the most complex but well-loved poker variations. It is a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites play from all levels of players. This is the primary reason why a once obscure variation, has expanded in popularity so rapidly.
Omaha hi/low starts just like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to each player. A sequence of betting follows where players can wager, check, or fold. Three cards are dealt out, this is called the flop. Another sequence of betting happens. Once all the players have in turn called or dropped out, a further card is flipped on the turn. Another sequence of wagering ensues and then the river card is flipped. The entrants will need to make the strongest high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is the point where many players can get confused. Unlike Hold’em, in which the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player has to utilize precisely three cards from the board, and precisely 2 cards from their hand. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot could be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It’s the strongest hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the identical notion in nearly every poker game.
The lower hand is more complex, but certainly free’s up the action. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the weakest hand that might be made, with the lowest value being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and lower. The low hand wins half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there is no lower hand available, the high hand takes the whole pot.
While it seems complicated initially, after a couple of hands you will be agile enough to get the base subtleties of play simply enough. Seeing as you have people wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as so many cards are being used at once, Omaha 8 or better provides an exciting range of betting possibilities and because you have several players trying for the high, and several shooting for the low hand. If you like a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it is worth your time to participate in Omaha 8 or better.
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