Omaha Hi-Low: General Overview
October 21st, 2015 at 8:21
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times viewed as one of the most complicated but favored poker variations. It’s a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for action from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once obscure variation, has increased in acceptance so amazingly.
Omaha Hi-Lo begins like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to each player. A round of betting follows in which players can bet, check, or fold. Three cards are handed out, this is referred to as the flop. A further sequence of wagering ensues. After all the gamblers have in turn called or folded, a further card is revealed on the turn. Another sequence of betting follows at which point the river card is flipped. The gamblers will need to make the strongest high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where many players get flustered. Contrasted to Texas Holdem, where the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player has to utilize precisely 3 cards on the board, and precisely 2 hole cards. No more, not a single card less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot could be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It is the strongest hand out of every player’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the identical concept in nearly all poker games.
A low hand is more difficult, but really free’s up the action. 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 worst being A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes don’t 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 below. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there’s no lower hand available, the high hand takes the entire pot.
It may seem complicated initially, after a couple of hands you will be agile enough to pick up on the base nuances of play with ease. Seeing as you have people betting for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha Hi-Lo provides an amazing collection of wagering options and because you have several individuals battling for the high hand, as well as several trying for the low. If you enjoy a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to play Omaha/8.