Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most difficult but favored poker variations. It is a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for play from all levels of players. This is the main reason why a once irrelevant variation, has grown in popularity so quickly.
Omaha 8 or better starts just like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are given out to each player. A round of betting follows in which players can wager, check, or fold. Three cards are handed out, this is referred to as the flop. Another sequence of wagering ensues. Once all the players have either called or dropped out, an additional card is revealed on the turn. Another round of betting follows at which point the river card is flipped. The entrants will have to make the best high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where some entrants often get confused. Unlike Texas Holdem, where the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player must utilize precisely 3 cards from the board, and exactly two cards from their hand. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Contrary to 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 strongest hand out of every player’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the identical approach in nearly all poker games.
The lower hand is more difficult, but really free’s up the action. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the weakest hand that can be made, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes do not 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 lower hand takes half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there’s no lower hand available, the higher hand takes the entire pot.
While it seems complex initially, following a few hands you will be able to pick up on the base nuances of the game with ease. Seeing as you have players betting for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are being used at once, Omaha Hi-Lo offers an overwhelming collection of wagering possibilities and because you have numerous players trying for the high, and many trying for the low. If you love a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to play Omaha 8 or better.
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