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Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is commonly seen as one of the most complicated but well-loved poker variations. It’s a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for action from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once irrelevant game, has increased in acceptance so quickly.
Omaha/8 starts like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to every player. A sequence of betting ensues in which players can bet, check, or fold. Three cards are dealt out, this is called the flop. One more round of wagering ensues. Once all the gamblers have either called or folded, another card is flipped on the turn. Another sequence of betting follows at which point the river card is revealed. The gamblers will need to put together the strongest high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where a few entrants can get baffled. Unlike Hold’em, in which the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi lo the player has to utilize precisely 3 cards on the board, and exactly 2 cards from their hand. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot might be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It’s the best hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the identical notion in almost all poker games.
A low hand is more difficult, but really opens up the action. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the worst hand that might be made, with the worst being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and smaller. The low hand takes half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there is no low hand presented, the higher hand takes the complete pot.
It may seem complex at first, after a few rounds you will be able to get the base nuances of the game easily enough. Since you have players wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and since such a large number of cards are being used at once, Omaha/8 offers an overwhelming array of wagering options and seeing that you have several players shooting for the high hand, along with several shooting for the low. If you love a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it is worth your time to participate in Omaha 8 or better.