Omaha

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Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is often times viewed as one of the most difficult but favored poker games. It’s a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites action from all levels of players. This is the primary reason why a once invisible game, has grown in acceptance so amazingly.

Omaha 8 or better begins just like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to each player. A round of wagering ensues in which players can bet, check, or drop out. 3 cards are given out, this is known as the flop. One more round of wagering ensues. After all the players have in turn called or dropped out, another card is revealed on the turn. a further sequence of betting follows at which point the river card is flipped. The entrants will have to put together the strongest high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.

This is the point where some players can get flustered. Contrasted to Texas Hold ‘Em, in which the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi/low the player has to utilize precisely three cards on the board, and precisely 2 cards from their hand. No more, not a single card less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot might be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."

A high hand is just how it sounds. It is the best possible hand out of everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the same notion in nearly 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 don’t count. A low hand is the weakest hand that can be made, with the worst being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and smaller. The lower hand wins 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 complex at the outset, following a few rounds you will be agile enough to pick up on the basic subtleties of play easily enough. Since you have individuals betting for the low and betting for the high, and since such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha 8 or better provides an exciting assortment of wagering possibilities and seeing that you have several players trying for the high, and many battling for the low. If you like a game with a lot of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to play Omaha 8 or better.