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Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is frequently viewed as one of the most complicated but popular poker games. It’s a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for play from every level of players. This is the main reason why a once irrelevant variation, has increased in popularity so quickly.
Omaha 8 or better starts just like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are given out to each player. A round of wagering ensues where players can wager, check, or drop out. 3 cards are handed out, this is called the flop. A further sequence of wagering ensues. After all the gamblers have either called or folded, another card is flipped on the turn. Another sequence of betting happens and then the river card is revealed. The players will have to make the best high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is the point where a few players get confused. Unlike Texas Holdem, where the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player has to use precisely 3 cards on the board, and precisely two cards from their hand. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot may be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It’s the best possible hand out of every player’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the identical concept in almost every poker game.
The lower hand is more difficult, but really opens up the action. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the worst hand that can be put together, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and below. The low hand wins half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there is no lower hand presented, the high hand takes the complete pot.
It may seem complicated at the start, after a few rounds you will be agile enough to pick up on the basic nuances of play simply enough. Since you have individuals betting for the low and betting for the high, and since such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha hi-low offers an exciting range of betting options and owing to the fact that you have numerous individuals trying for the high hand, as well as a few battling for the low. If you enjoy a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to play Omaha Hi-Lo.
