Omaha Hi Lo: Basic Overview
Posted in Omaha on 01/01/2016 09:21 pm by Ayden
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most complicated but popular poker variations. It’s a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites play from all levels of players. This is the main reason why a once invisible game, has increased in popularity so rapidly.
Omaha/8 starts just like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to every player. A sequence of wagering follows where players can bet, check, or fold. Three cards are handed out, this is known as the flop. A further sequence of betting ensues. After all the gamblers have either called or folded, another card is revealed on the turn. an additional sequence of wagering ensues and then the river card is flipped. The gamblers will need to make the strongest high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is the point where many players get confused. Contrasted to Texas Hold ‘Em, in which the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi low the player must use precisely three cards from the board, and exactly 2 hole cards. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot could be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It is the strongest hand out of every player’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house. It is the identical concept in nearly all poker games.
A low hand is more complicated, but certainly free’s up the action. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the weakest hand that might be made, with the lowest 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 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and smaller. The low hand wins half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there is no lower hand available, the high hand takes the complete pot.
While it seems complicated at first, after a few hands you will be able to get the basic subtleties of the game with ease. Seeing as you have individuals wagering for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as so many cards are in play, Omaha/8 offers an exciting collection of wagering options and owing to the fact that you have many players trying for the high, along with a few trying for the low. If you prefer a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to play Omaha/8.