Omaha Hi Low: Fundamental Overview
Posted in Omaha on 10/02/2015 02:21 am by Fernanda
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is commonly seen as one of the most complicated but favored poker variations. It is a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites play from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once invisible game, has increased in acceptance so rapidly.
Omaha hi-low begins just like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to every player. A sequence of betting follows where players can wager, check, or fold. 3 cards are given out, this is called the flop. A further sequence of betting ensues. Once all the players have either called or folded, another card is flipped on the turn. a further round of wagering ensues at which point the river card is revealed. The gamblers will have to put together the best high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where many entrants get confused. Unlike Texas Hold ‘Em, in which the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player must utilize exactly 3 cards on the board, and precisely two cards from their hand. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot could be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It’s the strongest possible hand out of everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the very same approach in nearly every poker game.
The lower hand is more complex, but really free’s up the action. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that can be put together, with the worst being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes don’t 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 below. The low hand takes half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there’s no lower hand presented, the higher hand takes the whole pot.
It may seem difficult initially, following a couple of hands you will be agile enough to pick up on the base nuances of the game simply enough. Seeing as you have individuals wagering for the low and betting for the high, and since so many cards are being used at once, Omaha 8 or better provides an overwhelming range of betting possibilities and seeing that you have many players trying for the high, and a few shooting for the low hand. If you prefer a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha/8.