Omaha Hi-Lo: General Summary
Posted in Omaha on 03/31/2016 01:21 pm by Fernanda
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is often times viewed as one of the most complicated but popular poker variations. It is a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites play from all levels of players. This is the main reason why a once irrelevant variation, has expanded in acceptance so rapidly.
Omaha/8 begins exactly like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to every player. A round of betting ensues where players can wager, check, or drop out. Three cards are handed out, this is known as the flop. One more round of wagering ensues. Once all the gamblers have in turn called or folded, another card is revealed on the turn. an additional round of betting follows and then the river card is revealed. The gamblers will have to make the strongest high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is the point where many players often 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 three cards from the board, and exactly 2 hole cards. No more, no less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot can be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It’s the strongest possible hand out of everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the very same notion in nearly every poker game.
The low hand is more complex, but certainly 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 might be put together, with the lowest being A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and smaller. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there is no lower hand presented, the higher hand takes the entire pot.
Although it seems complicated at the outset, after a few hands you will be agile enough to pick up on the fundamental nuances of the game simply enough. Seeing as you have individuals wagering for the low and betting for the high, and since such a large number of cards are being used at the same time, Omaha 8 or better provides an exciting array of wagering choices and seeing that you have numerous individuals shooting for the high, along with a few shooting for the low hand. If you like a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it is worth your time to play Omaha hi/low.