Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is commonly viewed as one of the most difficult but popular poker games. It’s a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites play from all levels of players. This is the chief reason why a once invisible game, has increased in popularity so amazingly.
Omaha 8 or better starts exactly like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to each player. A round of betting ensues where players can wager, check, or fold. 3 cards are given out, this is called the flop. Another sequence of wagering happens. Once all the gamblers have either called or folded, another card is revealed on the turn. Another sequence of wagering follows and then the river card is flipped. The gamblers must attempt to make the strongest high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where many entrants often get baffled. Unlike Texas Holdem, in which the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player has to use exactly three cards from the board, and precisely two cards from their hand. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot could be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It’s the best hand out of every player’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the same notion in almost all poker games.
The low hand is more complex, but certainly free’s up the play. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the weakest hand that could be put together, with the lowest being A-2-3-4-5. Because 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 lower hand takes half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there is no lower hand presented, the high hand takes the entire pot.
Although it seems difficult at the outset, following a few hands you will be able to pick up on the base subtleties of play easily enough. Since you have individuals betting for the low and wagering for the high, and since such a large number of cards are being used at once, Omaha hi lo provides an overwhelming range of wagering choices and because you have numerous individuals trying for the high hand, along with many shooting for the low hand. If you love a game with a lot of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha hi low.
This entry was posted on March 29, 2023, 5:25 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.