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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 variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites action from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once irrelevant game, has grown in popularity so rapidly.
Omaha/8 starts just like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to each player. A round of betting follows where players can wager, check, or fold. 3 cards are given out, this is referred to as the flop. One more round of wagering ensues. Once all the gamblers have either called or folded, another card is revealed on the turn. Another round of betting happens at which point the river card is flipped. The gamblers will need to put together the best high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is the point where some players often get confused. Contrasted to Holdem, where the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player must use exactly 3 cards on the board, and precisely 2 hole cards. No more, no less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot could be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It is the best hand out of everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house. It is the same approach in just about all poker games.
A low hand is more complicated, but certainly opens up the action. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that might be made, with the lowest value being A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and lower. The low hand takes half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there’s no low hand available, the high hand wins the entire pot.
Although it seems complex at the start, after a couple of hands you will be able to get the fundamental nuances of the game simply enough. Since you have individuals wagering for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as so many cards are in play, Omaha hi/lo provides an overwhelming collection of betting possibilities and because you have several players battling for the high hand, and many shooting for the low. If you love a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to participate in Omaha hi-low.