Poker Secrets

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Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is commonly seen as one of the most difficult but well-loved poker variations. It is a variation 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 grown in popularity so amazingly.

Omaha 8 or better starts exactly like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are given out to each player. A round of wagering ensues in which players can wager, check, or drop out. 3 cards are given out, this is called the flop. One more sequence of wagering ensues. After all the players have either called or folded, another card is flipped on the turn. a further sequence of wagering happens and then the river card is flipped. The gamblers must attempt to put together the strongest high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.

This is the point where many entrants get confused. Unlike Texas Holdem, in which the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi/low the player must utilize exactly 3 cards on the board, and precisely 2 cards from their hand. Not a single card more, no less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot could 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 every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the very same approach in nearly every poker game.

The lower hand is more complicated, but really free’s up the action. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the worst hand that might be made, with the lowest being A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and lower. The low hand takes half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there’s no lower hand presented, the high hand wins the whole pot.

It may seem difficult at the start, following a few hands you will be agile enough to pick up on the fundamental subtleties of play with ease. Seeing as you have people betting for the low and wagering for the high, and since so many cards are in play, Omaha hi lo provides an amazing range of wagering options and seeing that you have several players shooting for the high hand, as well as a few shooting for the low hand. If you prefer a game with a lot of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha hi/lo.