Omaha Hi-Low: Basic Overview
Posted in Omaha on 09/17/2015 01:21 pm by Fernanda
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is commonly viewed as one of the most difficult but well-loved poker variations. It’s a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for play from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once obscure variation, has expanded in acceptance so amazingly.
Omaha Hi-Lo begins just like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to every player. A sequence of betting ensues in which gamblers can bet, check, or fold. Three cards are given out, this is referred to as the flop. A further sequence of betting ensues. After all the players have in turn called or folded, another card is revealed on the turn. Another round of wagering follows at which point the river card is revealed. The gamblers will need to make the strongest high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where a few entrants get flustered. Unlike Texas Hold ‘Em, in which the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player has to use precisely 3 cards on the board, and precisely 2 cards from their hand. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Contrary to normal 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 best possible hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the very same notion in just about every poker game.
A low hand is more complex, but certainly free’s up the play. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the worst hand that can be put together, with the lowest being made up of 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 low hand takes 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 couple of hands you will be able to get the base subtleties of play with ease. Since you have people wagering for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha hi low provides an overwhelming array of wagering options and owing to the fact that you have several individuals trying for the high, along with a few battling for the low. If you enjoy a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha hi lo.