Poker Strategy

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Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is commonly seen as one of the most difficult but favored poker variations. It is a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites play from all levels of players. This is the chief reason why a once irrelevant variation, has grown in popularity so quickly.

Omaha Hi-Lo starts like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to each player. A round of wagering ensues where gamblers can wager, check, or drop out. Three cards are handed out, this is called the flop. Another round of betting happens. After all the gamblers have either called or folded, a further card is flipped on the turn. an additional sequence of wagering follows at which point the river card is revealed. The entrants must attempt to make the best high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.

This is where a few entrants often get confused. Contrasted to Texas Holdem, where the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi/low the player must use exactly 3 cards on the board, and precisely 2 cards from their hand. Not a single card more, no less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot can be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."

A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It is the strongest possible hand out of everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the identical approach in almost all poker games.

The lower hand is more difficult, but really free’s up the play. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the weakest hand that can be made, with the lowest being A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and below. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there is no low hand presented, the higher hand wins the entire pot.

It may seem complicated at the start, following a couple of rounds you will be agile enough to get the basic subtleties of play with ease. Seeing as you have people wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and since so many cards are in play, Omaha/8 provides an exciting collection of betting options and seeing that you have numerous individuals trying for the high, along with many battling for the low hand. If you enjoy a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha 8 or better.