Poker Tips Poker Tips for Beginners

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Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is commonly viewed as one of the most difficult but well-loved poker games. It's a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites action from all levels of players. This is the main reason why a once obscure game, has increased in popularity so rapidly.

Omaha 8 or better begins like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to every player. A round of wagering follows in which gamblers can bet, check, or fold. Three cards are given out, this is called the flop. A further round of betting ensues. After all the players have in turn called or dropped out, another card is flipped on the turn. an additional round of wagering follows and then the river card is flipped. The players must attempt to put together the strongest high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.

This is the point where a number of entrants can get baffled. Contrasted to Texas Holdem, where the board can be everyone's hand, in Omaha hi lo the player must use exactly 3 cards on the board, and exactly two cards from their hand. No more, not a single card less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot might be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."

A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It is the strongest possible hand out of every player's, it doesn't matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It's the very same concept in nearly all poker games.

A low hand is more complex, but really free's up the play. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that might be made, with the lowest value being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and smaller. The low hand wins half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there's no lower hand available, the higher hand wins the entire pot.

While it seems complex at the outset, following a few rounds you will be able to pick up on the fundamental nuances of play with ease. Seeing as you have players wagering for the low and betting for the high, and since so many cards are in play, Omaha hi low offers an exciting assortment of wagering possibilities and because you have numerous players trying for the high, as well as several shooting for the low. If you love a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it's not a waste of your time to play Omaha hi/low.