Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is commonly seen as one of the most complicated but popular poker games. It’s a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for action from all levels of players. This is the chief reason why a once obscure game, has increased in acceptance so amazingly.
Omaha hi lo starts like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to each player. A sequence of wagering follows in which gamblers can bet, check, or fold. Three cards are handed out, this is known as the flop. One more sequence of betting ensues. After all the gamblers have in turn called or dropped out, another card is revealed on the turn. Another round of betting happens at which point the river card is flipped. The gamblers will have to put together the strongest high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where some players get confused. Contrasted to Texas Hold ‘Em, in which the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi lo the player must utilize precisely 3 cards on the board, and exactly 2 hole cards. No more, no less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot could be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It’s the strongest hand out of every player’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house. It is the identical concept in just about every poker game.
The lower hand is more difficult, but really opens up the play. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the weakest hand that can be made, with the lowest being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. 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 lower hand presented, the high hand wins the complete pot.
While it seems complex at the start, after a few rounds you will be agile enough to pick up on the basic subtleties of the game easily enough. Seeing as you have players wagering for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as so many cards are in play, Omaha 8 or better offers an exciting range of betting possibilities and because you have many players shooting for the high hand, and many shooting for the low. If you love a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha hi lo.
This entry was posted on October 29, 2015, 6:21 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.