Poker Information Poker Information for Beginners

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Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is often times viewed as one of the most complex but favored poker games. It is a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites action from every level of players. This is the main reason why a once obscure game, has increased in acceptance so quickly.

Omaha/8 begins exactly like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to each player. A sequence of wagering follows where gamblers can bet, check, or drop out. Three cards are dealt out, this is known as the flop. One more round of wagering ensues. Once all the gamblers have in turn called or folded, a further card is revealed on the turn. Another sequence of betting ensues and then the river card is revealed. The players must attempt to make the best high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.

This is the point where a number of players can get confused. Unlike Texas Hold 'Em, in which the board can be every player's hand, in Omaha hi/low the player must use exactly three cards on the board, and exactly two hole cards. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot can be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."

A high hand is just what it sounds like. It's the best hand out of every player's, whether that is a straight, flush, full house. It is the same approach in nearly all poker games.

The lower hand is more difficult, but really opens up the play. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that could be made, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and lower. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there is no low hand presented, the high hand takes the complete pot.

Although it seems complicated at the outset, following a couple of hands you will be agile enough to pick up on the fundamental subtleties of play with ease. Since you have players betting for the low and wagering for the high, and since such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha Hi-Lo provides an amazing range of betting possibilities and because you have many individuals shooting for the high, as well as a few battling for the low. If you enjoy a game with a lot of outs and actions, it is worth your time to play Omaha 8 or better.