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Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is often times seen as one of the most complex but favored poker games. It is 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 invisible game, has grown in acceptance so amazingly.

Omaha 8 or better starts exactly like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to every player. A sequence of wagering ensues in which gamblers can wager, check, or drop out. 3 cards are handed out, this is known as the flop. A further round of betting happens. Once all the players have either called or dropped out, a further card is flipped on the turn. a further sequence of betting happens at which point the river card is flipped. The players will have to put together the strongest high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.

This is the point where some entrants often get confused. Contrasted to Holdem, where the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player must utilize precisely 3 cards on the board, and precisely 2 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 "lower hand."

A high hand is just how it sounds. It’s the strongest possible hand out of everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the same notion in nearly every poker game.

The low hand is more complicated, but really free’s up the action. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the worst hand that can be put together, with the lowest value being A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there is no lower hand available, the high hand takes the entire pot.

While it seems complicated at the outset, following a couple of rounds you will be agile enough to pick up on the base subtleties of play with ease. Seeing as you have players betting for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as so many cards are in play, Omaha/8 provides an overwhelming collection of betting choices and seeing that you have several individuals trying for the high hand, along with a few battling for the low. If you love a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to play Omaha hi lo.