Omaha Hi-Lo: Basic Overview
January 13th, 2019 at 8:25
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is frequently viewed as one of the most difficult but well-loved poker games. It is a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for play from all levels of players. This is the chief reason why a once obscure variation, has grown in popularity so rapidly.
Omaha hi lo starts just like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to each player. A round of wagering ensues in which gamblers can wager, check, or drop out. Three cards are dealt out, this is called the flop. Another sequence of betting happens. Once all the players have either called or folded, another card is flipped on the turn. an additional sequence of wagering happens at which point the river card is revealed. The entrants must attempt to make the best high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where a few entrants can get flustered. Unlike Hold’em, where the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi lo the player must utilize precisely three cards from the board, and precisely 2 cards from their hand. No more, no less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot might be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It’s the strongest possible hand out of every player’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the very same approach in almost every poker game.
A lower hand is more complex, but really opens up the action. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the weakest hand that could be put together, with the worst being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and lower. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there is no low hand presented, the higher hand wins the entire pot.
It may seem complex initially, following a few rounds you will be able to pick up on the fundamental subtleties of play with ease. Seeing as you have people wagering for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are being used at the same time, Omaha/8 offers an amazing array of betting possibilities and because you have many players shooting for the high, along with several battling for the low. If you love a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha/8.