Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times viewed as one of the most complicated but popular poker variations. It’s a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for play from all levels of players. This is the primary reason why a once irrelevant variation, has grown in acceptance so quickly.
Omaha/8 starts just like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to each player. A sequence of wagering ensues where gamblers can wager, check, or drop out. Three cards are dealt out, this is referred to as the flop. A further round of betting happens. Once all the gamblers have either called or folded, an additional card is revealed on the turn. a further sequence of wagering ensues at which point the river card is flipped. The gamblers must attempt to put together the best high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where a number of entrants can get confused. Unlike Holdem, in which the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player has to use exactly 3 cards on the board, and precisely 2 cards from their hand. Not a single card more, no less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot might be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It’s the best possible hand out of every player’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the same approach in almost every poker game.
A lower hand is more complex, but certainly opens up the play. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that might be made, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and smaller. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there is no low hand available, the higher hand wins the entire pot.
While it seems difficult at the outset, after a few hands you will be able to pick up on the fundamental nuances of play with ease. Since you have individuals wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and since such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha/8 provides an overwhelming assortment of wagering choices and owing to the fact that you have numerous individuals battling for the high hand, as well as many battling for the low. If you like a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to play Omaha 8 or better.
This entry was posted on February 2, 2016, 4:21 pm 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.