Omaha Hi/Low: Basic Overview
Posted in Omaha on 11/22/2008 02:16 pm by Ayden
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is often times seen as one of the most difficult but favored poker variations. It’s a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for play from all levels of players. This is the chief reason why a once invisible variation, has increased in acceptance so rapidly.
Omaha/8 begins like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to every player. A sequence of betting follows where players can wager, check, or fold. 3 cards are given out, this is called the flop. Another round of betting happens. After all the gamblers have in turn called or dropped out, a further card is flipped on the turn. a further sequence of betting follows at which point the river card is flipped. The players will need to put together the strongest high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where some entrants often get confused. Contrasted to Hold’em, in which the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player must use exactly 3 cards from the board, and precisely two hole cards. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot might be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It’s the strongest hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house. It is the very same approach in just about every poker game.
A lower hand is more difficult, but really opens up the action. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that can be put together, with the lowest value being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and lower. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there’s no low hand available, the higher hand wins the whole pot.
It may seem difficult initially, following a couple of rounds you will be able to pick up on the basic subtleties of play easily enough. Seeing as you have individuals betting for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as so many cards are being used at once, Omaha hi low provides an amazing array of betting choices and owing to the fact that you have numerous players shooting for the high, along with a few shooting for the low hand. If you prefer a game with a lot of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha/8.