Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most complicated but favored poker variations. It’s a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites action from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once obscure game, has expanded in acceptance so quickly.
Omaha hi lo begins just like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to every player. A round of wagering follows in which gamblers can bet, check, or fold. Three cards are given out, this is called the flop. One more round of betting happens. Once all the gamblers have either called or dropped out, another card is flipped on the turn. an additional sequence of wagering ensues and then the river card is revealed. The gamblers will need to make the strongest high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is the point where a number of players get baffled. Contrasted to Texas Hold ‘Em, where the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi lo the player must utilize exactly three cards from the board, and exactly two hole cards. No more, not a single card less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are 2 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 same notion in almost every poker game.
The low hand is more difficult, but certainly free’s up the play. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the weakest hand that can be put together, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and smaller. The low hand wins half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there is no lower hand available, the higher hand wins the entire pot.
It may seem complicated at first, following a few rounds you will be agile enough to get the basic nuances of the game simply enough. Seeing as you have players wagering for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as so many cards are in play, Omaha/8 offers an exciting range of wagering choices and seeing that you have numerous players shooting for the high hand, and many battling for the low. If you like a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it is worth your time to play Omaha 8 or better.
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