Omaha Hi-Low: General Summary
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most complex but favored poker variations. It’s a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites action from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once invisible game, has increased in popularity so amazingly.
Omaha Hi-Lo begins just like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to each player. A sequence of betting ensues where gamblers can wager, check, or drop out. Three cards are given out, this is known as the flop. A further sequence of betting happens. After all the gamblers have in turn called or folded, an additional card is revealed on the turn. an additional sequence of wagering happens and then the river card is flipped. The gamblers must attempt to make the best high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is the point where some entrants can get baffled. Unlike Texas Hold ‘Em, where the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi low the player has to use exactly 3 cards from the board, and precisely 2 hole cards. No more, no less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot can be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It’s the best hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the same notion in almost every poker game.
The lower hand is more complicated, but certainly free’s up the action. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that could be put together, with the lowest value being A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and below. The low hand takes half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there is no lower hand available, the higher hand wins the entire pot.
It may seem complicated at the start, following a few rounds you will be able to pick up on the base subtleties of play easily enough. Since you have individuals wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as so many cards are in play, Omaha/8 offers an amazing array of wagering options and seeing that you have several individuals trying for the high, along with many shooting for the low. If you prefer a game with a lot of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to play Omaha High-Low.
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