Poker Tricks

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Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most difficult but well-loved poker variations. It’s a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for action from all levels of players. This is the chief reason why a once irrelevant game, has expanded in acceptance so rapidly.

Omaha hi/low starts like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to every player. A sequence of wagering follows where players can bet, check, or fold. 3 cards are dealt out, this is known as the flop. A further sequence of betting ensues. After all the gamblers have in turn called or dropped out, another card is flipped on the turn. Another sequence of wagering follows and then the river card is flipped. The entrants must attempt to make the best high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.

This is the point where some entrants get confused. Contrasted to Holdem, in which the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi/low the player must utilize exactly three cards on the board, and precisely 2 hole cards. Not a single card more, no less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot may be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."

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

The low hand is more difficult, but really opens up the action. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that could be made, with the lowest value 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 possible hand. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and smaller. The low hand takes half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there is no lower hand available, the high hand takes the complete pot.

It may seem complicated at first, following a few rounds you will be able to pick up on the basic nuances of the game with ease. 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 overwhelming assortment of wagering possibilities and because you have numerous individuals trying for the high, along with many battling for the low hand. If you prefer a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to compete in Omaha/8.