Omaha Hi Lo: General Summary
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is commonly seen as one of the most complex but popular poker variations. It’s a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for play from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once irrelevant variation, has expanded in acceptance so amazingly.
Omaha/8 begins just like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to every player. A sequence of wagering follows in which gamblers can bet, check, or fold. 3 cards are given out, this is called the flop. A further round of betting happens. Once all the players have either called or folded, an additional card is revealed on the turn. a further round of wagering ensues and then the river card is flipped. The gamblers will have to make the strongest high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is the point where many entrants often get flustered. Contrasted to Hold’em, where the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi lo the player must utilize exactly three cards on the board, and exactly two cards from their hand. Not a single card more, no less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot could be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It’s the strongest hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the same notion in just about all poker games.
A lower hand is more complex, but certainly opens up the action. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that could be made, with the lowest being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. 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 high hand. When there is no low hand available, the high hand takes the complete pot.
While it seems complicated at first, after a few rounds you will be able to pick up on the base subtleties of the game with ease. Since you have people betting for the low and betting for the high, and since so many cards are in play, Omaha Hi-Lo offers an amazing collection of wagering choices and because you have many players shooting for the high hand, as well as several shooting for the low hand. If you enjoy a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it is worth your time to play Omaha/8.
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