Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most complex but popular poker variations. It is a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for action from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once irrelevant variation, has grown in popularity so rapidly.
Omaha 8 or better begins exactly like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to every player. A sequence of betting follows in which players can bet, check, or fold. 3 cards are dealt out, this is referred to as the flop. Another round of betting ensues. After all the gamblers have either called or dropped out, an additional card is revealed on the turn. an additional sequence of betting ensues and then the river card is revealed. The entrants will have to make the strongest high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where some entrants can get baffled. Unlike Texas Hold ‘Em, where the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/low the player must utilize precisely three cards on the board, and exactly 2 hole cards. Not a single card more, no less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot could be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It’s the best possible 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 nearly all poker games.
A low hand is more complex, but really opens up the action. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the worst hand that might be made, with the worst being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and smaller. The low hand wins half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there is no lower hand available, the high hand takes the entire pot.
Although it seems complex at the start, after a couple of rounds you will be able to get the basic nuances of play with ease. Since you have individuals betting for the low and wagering for the high, and since so many cards are in play, Omaha hi lo offers an overwhelming assortment of wagering choices and because you have numerous players battling for the high hand, along with a few battling for the low. If you love a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to play Omaha hi lo.
This entry was posted on October 8, 2015, 2:21 am and is filed under Omaha. You can follow any responses to this entry through RSS 2.0. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.