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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’s a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites action from every level of players. This is the main reason why a once irrelevant game, has increased in popularity so rapidly.
Omaha/8 begins like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to each player. A round of betting ensues in which gamblers can wager, check, or fold. 3 cards are dealt out, this is referred to as the flop. One more round of wagering ensues. After all the players have either called or dropped out, an additional card is flipped on the turn. Another sequence of betting ensues at which point the river card is flipped. The gamblers will need to put together the strongest high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where a number of players often get baffled. Unlike Texas Hold ‘Em, in which the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player has to use precisely 3 cards on the board, and exactly 2 hole cards. Not a single card more, no less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot could be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It’s the best hand out of everyone’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the very same approach in almost all poker games.
The lower hand is more complicated, but certainly free’s up the play. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the worst hand that might be made, with the lowest being A-2-3-4-5. Since 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 eight and below. The low hand takes half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there’s no lower hand available, the higher hand takes the complete pot.
It may seem complex at first, following a few hands you will be able to get the basic subtleties of play with ease. Seeing as you have individuals betting for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as so many cards are in play, Omaha 8 or better provides an exciting range of betting choices and owing to the fact that you have many players shooting for the high, along with many shooting for the low. If you prefer a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha/8.
