Poker Tricks

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Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is commonly viewed as one of the most complex but well-loved poker games. It’s a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites action from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once invisible game, has expanded in acceptance so rapidly.

Omaha hi/low starts exactly like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to every player. A sequence of wagering ensues where gamblers can wager, check, or drop out. Three cards are dealt out, this is called the flop. A further sequence of betting happens. Once all the players have either called or dropped out, a further card is revealed on the turn. a further round of wagering ensues at which point the river card is flipped. The players will need to put together the best high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.

This is the point where a number of players get baffled. Contrasted to Hold’em, where the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player must utilize exactly three cards from the board, and exactly two hole cards. No more, no less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot can be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."

A high hand is just what it sounds like. It’s the strongest hand out of everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the identical concept in almost all poker games.

A low hand is more complex, but certainly opens up the action. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that could be put together, with the lowest being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. The low hand takes half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there is no low hand available, the high hand wins the entire pot.

It may seem complicated at first, after a few hands you will be able to pick up on the base nuances of the game with ease. Seeing as you have people wagering for the low and betting for the high, and since so many cards are being used at once, Omaha 8 or better offers an overwhelming range of wagering options and owing to the fact that you have several individuals shooting for the high, and many battling for the low. If you like a game with a lot of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to play Omaha High-Low.