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Omaha Hi Low: Basic Summary

Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most difficult but popular poker games. It is 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 variation, has expanded in acceptance so quickly.

Omaha hi lo starts exactly like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to each player. A round of wagering ensues where gamblers can bet, check, or drop out. Three cards are dealt out, this is called the flop. Another round of betting happens. After all the players have in turn called or folded, a further card is revealed on the turn. Another sequence of betting ensues and then the river card is flipped. The entrants will need to put together the best high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.

This is the point where a few players often get flustered. Unlike Texas Holdem, where the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player has to utilize exactly three cards from the board, and precisely 2 cards from their hand. Not a single card more, no less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot can be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."

A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It is the strongest possible hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the very same notion in nearly all poker games.

A low hand is more complicated, but certainly opens up the action. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the worst hand that might be put together, with the worst being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes don’t 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 below. The low hand wins half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there is no low hand presented, the higher hand wins the entire pot.

It may seem complicated at the outset, following a couple of rounds you will be able to pick up on the fundamental nuances of play with ease. Since you have people wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and since so many cards are in play, Omaha 8 or better offers an overwhelming range of betting possibilities and owing to the fact that you have numerous players battling for the high hand, and a few shooting for the low hand. If you prefer a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha hi/low.

Posted in Poker.


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