Omaha Hi-Lo: Fundamental Overview
Posted in Omaha on 08/05/2020 11:25 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 game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for play from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once obscure variation, has expanded in popularity so amazingly.
Omaha 8 or better begins just like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to each player. A round of wagering follows where gamblers can bet, check, or fold. 3 cards are dealt out, this is called the flop. A further round of wagering ensues. Once all the gamblers have in turn called or folded, a further card is flipped on the turn. Another sequence of wagering follows at which point the river card is flipped. The entrants will have to put together the strongest high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is the point where a number of entrants often get flustered. Unlike Texas Hold ‘Em, in which the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player has to utilize exactly three cards on the board, and exactly 2 hole cards. Not a single card more, no less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot might be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It is the strongest hand out of everyone’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house. It is the very same notion in nearly every poker game.
The low hand is more complicated, but really opens up the play. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the worst hand that can be made, with the lowest value being A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and smaller. The low hand takes half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there is no low hand available, the high hand wins the whole pot.
It may seem complicated at the start, after a few rounds you will be agile enough to pick up on the basic nuances of play simply enough. Since you have players betting for the low and betting for the high, and since so many cards are in play, Omaha/8 provides an overwhelming array of wagering possibilities and seeing that you have numerous individuals shooting for the high hand, as well as a few trying for the low hand. If you love a game with a lot of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to play Omaha/8.