Omaha Hi Lo: General Outline
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is often times seen as one of the most complicated but popular poker variations. It’s a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for action from every level of players. This is the main reason why a once obscure game, has grown in acceptance so amazingly.
Omaha/8 starts like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are given out to each player. A round of betting ensues in which players can bet, check, or drop out. 3 cards are dealt out, this is referred to as the flop. One more round of wagering ensues. Once all the gamblers have either called or folded, another card is flipped on the turn. an additional sequence of wagering follows and then the river card is revealed. The gamblers must attempt to put together the best high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where a number of entrants often get baffled. Unlike Texas Hold ‘Em, in which the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player must use exactly three cards from the board, and precisely two cards from their hand. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot might be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It is the strongest 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.
The lower hand is more complicated, but really opens up the action. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the worst hand that can be put together, with the worst being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and smaller. The low hand takes half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there is no low hand presented, the high hand wins the entire pot.
It may seem complex at the start, after a few rounds you will be able to get the basic nuances of play with ease. Seeing as you have people betting for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as so many cards are in play, Omaha 8 or better offers an exciting collection of betting possibilities and owing to the fact that you have several individuals battling for the high hand, along with many shooting for the low. If you like a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha hi lo.
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