Poker Strategy

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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 regular Omaha poker, invites action from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once irrelevant game, has increased in popularity so quickly.

Omaha/8 starts like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to each player. A sequence of wagering follows where players can wager, check, or drop out. 3 cards are handed out, this is referred to as the flop. One more sequence of wagering ensues. Once all the gamblers have in turn called or folded, a further card is revealed on the turn. an additional round of betting ensues and then the river card is flipped. The players must attempt to make the best high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.

This is the point where many players often get flustered. Unlike Holdem, where the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player must utilize precisely three cards from the board, and exactly two cards from their hand. No more, no less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot can be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."

A high hand is just what it sounds like. It’s the best hand out of everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the very same notion in just about every poker game.

A lower hand is more difficult, but really opens up the action. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the weakest hand that might be made, with the lowest being A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as 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 eight and smaller. The low hand wins half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there’s no lower hand available, the higher hand takes the complete pot.

Although it seems difficult at the start, after a few rounds you will be able to get the base nuances of the game with ease. Since you have individuals betting for the low and betting for the high, and since so many cards are in play, Omaha hi lo provides an overwhelming assortment of betting choices and seeing that you have several players shooting for the high, along with several shooting for the low. If you prefer a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha hi-low.