Omaha Hi-Low: Basic Overview
September 18th, 2015 at 22:21
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is commonly viewed as one of the most difficult but favored poker variations. It is a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites play from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once obscure variation, has increased in acceptance so quickly.
Omaha 8 or better begins exactly like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to each player. A sequence of wagering ensues where gamblers can wager, check, or fold. 3 cards are given out, this is referred to as the flop. One more sequence of betting ensues. After all the gamblers have either called or dropped out, an additional card is flipped on the turn. Another sequence of betting follows at which point the river card is revealed. The entrants must attempt to make the best high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is the point where a number of entrants get confused. Contrasted to Texas Holdem, where the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player must use precisely 3 cards from the board, and exactly 2 hole cards. No more, not a single card less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot might be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It is the best possible hand out of everyone’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the identical concept in nearly all poker games.
The low hand is more complicated, but certainly opens up the action. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that could be made, with the lowest being A-2-3-4-5. Considering that 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 lower. The low hand takes half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there is no lower hand presented, the high hand takes the whole pot.
Although it seems difficult initially, after a few rounds you will be agile enough to get the fundamental nuances of play simply enough. Seeing as you have people wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as so many cards are being used at the same time, Omaha Hi-Lo offers an amazing range of betting options and owing to the fact that you have several individuals battling for the high hand, and many shooting for the low hand. If you love a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to compete in Omaha 8 or better.