Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most difficult but well-loved poker games. It is 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 invisible variation, has increased in popularity so amazingly.
Omaha 8 or better starts just like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to every player. A round of wagering ensues in which gamblers can bet, check, or fold. 3 cards are dealt out, this is referred to as the flop. Another round of wagering happens. After all the players have in turn called or folded, a further card is revealed on the turn. Another sequence of betting follows at which point the river card is flipped. The gamblers will have to make the best high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where a number of entrants can get confused. Contrasted to Texas Holdem, where the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player has to utilize exactly 3 cards on the board, and exactly two hole cards. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot might be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It’s the best hand out of everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the very same notion in nearly every poker game.
The low hand is more difficult, but really opens up the action. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that might be put together, 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 8 and lower. The low hand wins half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there’s no lower hand available, the high hand takes the complete pot.
It may seem complex at the start, after a few rounds you will be able to get the base subtleties of the game with ease. Since you have people wagering for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as so many cards are being used at the same time, Omaha hi lo offers an amazing assortment of wagering options and seeing that you have numerous players trying for the high hand, and several trying for the low. If you prefer a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to play Omaha 8 or better.
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