Omaha Hi-Low: Basic Summary
March 17th, 2016 at 21:21
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is frequently viewed as one of the most difficult but popular poker games. It’s a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites play from all levels of players. This is the main reason why a once obscure variation, has grown in popularity so amazingly.
Omaha/8 begins like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to each player. A sequence of betting ensues in which gamblers can wager, check, or drop out. Three cards are handed out, this is known as the flop. Another round of betting happens. After all the gamblers have in turn called or folded, an additional card is flipped on the turn. Another sequence of wagering happens and then the river card is revealed. The entrants must attempt to make the best high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where some entrants often get flustered. Contrasted to Hold’em, where the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi lo the player must use precisely 3 cards on the board, and precisely 2 cards from their hand. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Unlike normal 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 is the best possible hand out of every player’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house. It is the same concept in nearly all poker games.
The lower hand is more difficult, but certainly opens up the action. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the weakest hand that can be made, with the lowest value being A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and lower. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there is no lower hand available, the higher hand takes the whole pot.
It may seem complex at the start, after a couple of rounds you will be able to pick up on the base subtleties of the game easily enough. Seeing as you have individuals betting for the low and betting for the high, and since so many cards are in play, Omaha hi/lo offers an amazing array of wagering options and seeing that you have numerous players shooting for the high, as well as a few trying for the low. If you prefer a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it is worth your time to participate in Omaha/8.