Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times seen as one of the most difficult but well-loved poker variations. It is a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites action from all levels of players. This is the main reason why a once irrelevant variation, has expanded in acceptance so rapidly.
Omaha hi-low begins just like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to each player. A round of wagering follows in which gamblers can bet, check, or fold. Three cards are given out, this is called the flop. Another round of wagering ensues. Once all the gamblers have in turn called or dropped out, another card is flipped on the turn. a further sequence of betting happens at which point the river card is flipped. The entrants will have to put together the best high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where a few entrants get baffled. Unlike Holdem, where the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player has to use exactly three cards from the board, and precisely 2 cards from their hand. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot may 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 everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the very same notion in almost all poker games.
The low hand is more complex, but really free’s up the play. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the worst hand that can be made, with the lowest being A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and smaller. The low hand takes half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there’s no low hand presented, the higher hand takes the whole pot.
While it seems complex initially, following a couple of rounds you will be able to pick up on the base subtleties of the game simply enough. Since you have individuals wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha 8 or better provides an amazing array of wagering options and because you have many players battling for the high, as well as many shooting for the low hand. If you enjoy a game with a lot of outs and actions, it is worth your time to play Omaha/8.
This entry was posted on October 4, 2015, 1:21 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.