Omaha Hi Lo: Fundamental Outline
Posted in Omaha on 07/02/2017 02:25 am by Ayden
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is often times seen as one of the most complex but favored poker variations. It’s a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites action from all levels of players. This is the main reason why a once obscure variation, has grown in popularity so amazingly.
Omaha hi-low begins exactly like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to each player. A round of betting follows in which gamblers can wager, check, or drop out. Three cards are given out, this is referred to as the flop. One more round of betting ensues. After all the players have in turn called or folded, a further card is flipped on the turn. an additional sequence of wagering happens at which point the river card is revealed. The players must attempt to make the best high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is the point where a few entrants often get confused. Unlike Holdem, in which the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi low the player must use exactly 3 cards from the board, and exactly two cards from their hand. Not a single card more, no less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot can be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It’s the best hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the very same concept in nearly all poker games.
A lower hand is more complex, but really free’s up the action. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that can be made, with the worst 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 low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and lower. The low hand wins half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there is no lower hand presented, the higher hand takes the entire pot.
It may seem complicated initially, following a couple of hands you will be able to pick up on the basic nuances of play with ease. Seeing as you have players wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are being used at the same time, Omaha hi-low offers an overwhelming array of wagering possibilities and because you have many individuals shooting for the high hand, and many shooting for the low. If you prefer a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to play Omaha/8.