Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times seen as one of the most complicated but well-loved poker variations. 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 invisible variation, has grown in popularity so rapidly.
Omaha/8 begins just like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to every player. A round of wagering ensues where gamblers can wager, check, or drop out. 3 cards are handed out, this is called the flop. One more sequence of betting ensues. After all the gamblers have in turn called or folded, an additional card is flipped on the turn. an additional round of wagering happens at which point the river card is revealed. The players must attempt to put together the strongest high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is the point where some players get confused. Unlike Texas Hold ‘Em, in which the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/low the player must use exactly three cards from the board, and precisely two hole cards. No more, not a single card less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot may be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It’s the strongest hand out of everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the very same concept in nearly all poker games.
The low hand is more complex, but certainly free’s up the play. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the weakest hand that can be put together, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and smaller. The low hand takes half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there is no lower hand presented, the high hand takes the entire pot.
While it seems complicated at the outset, following a couple of rounds you will be able to get the basic subtleties of play easily enough. Since you have people wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and since so many cards are in play, Omaha/8 offers an overwhelming assortment of betting possibilities and because you have several individuals trying for the high, and several battling for the low hand. If you like a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha High-Low.
This entry was posted on April 21, 2020, 3:25 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.