Poker

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Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is often times seen as one of the most complicated but favored poker games. It’s a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites action from all levels of players. This is the chief reason why a once invisible game, has increased in acceptance so quickly.

Omaha hi low starts exactly like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to each player. A round of wagering ensues in which players can wager, check, or drop out. 3 cards are dealt out, this is called the flop. One more sequence of wagering ensues. After all the players have in turn called or folded, a further card is flipped on the turn. Another round of wagering happens at which point the river card is flipped. The players will need to put together the strongest high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.

This is the point where many entrants get flustered. Contrasted to Texas Holdem, in which the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi lo the player has to utilize precisely 3 cards on the board, and exactly 2 hole cards. No more, not a single card less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot can 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, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the same notion in just about all poker games.

The lower hand is more complicated, but certainly opens up the play. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that could be made, with the lowest value being A-2-3-4-5. Considering that 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 lower. The low hand takes half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there’s no low hand presented, the higher hand takes the complete pot.

Although it seems complex at the start, after a couple of rounds you will be agile enough to pick up on the base nuances of play simply enough. Since you have individuals betting for the low and wagering for the high, and since such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha 8 or better provides an amazing range of wagering options and seeing that you have numerous players battling for the high hand, as well as a few shooting for the low. If you love a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha 8 or better.