Omaha Hi-Lo: Fundamental Overview
Posted in Poker on 08/11/2012 03:21 pm by Jessie
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most complicated but well-loved poker games. It is a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for play from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once irrelevant variation, has grown in popularity so amazingly.
Omaha hi-low begins just like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to each player. A sequence of wagering ensues in which players can bet, check, or fold. 3 cards are handed out, this is called the flop. A further round of betting ensues. After all the gamblers have either called or folded, an additional card is flipped on the turn. a further sequence of wagering ensues and then the river card is flipped. The entrants will need to put together the strongest high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where a few players get confused. Contrasted to Texas Holdem, in which the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi/low the player has to use exactly three cards from the board, and precisely two cards from their hand. No more, not a single card less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot could be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It’s the strongest hand out of every player’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house. It is the very same concept in just about all poker games.
A low hand is more difficult, but certainly free’s up the action. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that could be put together, with the lowest being A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there’s no lower hand presented, the high hand wins the whole pot.
It may seem complicated at first, after a few hands you will be able to pick up on the fundamental subtleties of the game easily enough. Seeing as you have people wagering for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as so many cards are in play, Omaha hi/lo offers an exciting range of wagering options and because you have several individuals battling for the high hand, along with several shooting for the low hand. If you like a game with a lot of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to play Omaha/8.