Omaha Hi Low: General Summary
Posted in Poker on 08/26/2015 01:21 pm by Jessie
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is commonly seen as one of the most difficult but well-loved poker games. It’s a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites play from all levels of players. This is the primary reason why a once irrelevant variation, has expanded in acceptance so quickly.
Omaha 8 or better begins like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to each player. A round of betting follows in which gamblers can bet, check, or fold. 3 cards are given out, this is called the flop. A further round of betting happens. After all the players have in turn called or folded, an additional card is revealed on the turn. an additional sequence of wagering ensues and then the river card is revealed. The entrants must attempt to make the strongest high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where many entrants can get flustered. Contrasted to Texas Hold ‘Em, where the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player must use exactly three cards on the board, and exactly 2 hole cards. No more, no less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot could be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It is the strongest hand out of everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the identical concept in nearly all poker games.
A low hand is more complex, but really free’s up the play. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the weakest hand that can be made, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and smaller. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there is no low hand available, the high hand wins the entire pot.
It may seem difficult at the start, following a couple of rounds you will be agile enough to pick up on the base subtleties of the game simply enough. Seeing as you have players betting for the low and betting for the high, and since so many cards are being used at once, Omaha hi-low provides an exciting array of wagering choices and owing to the fact that you have several players shooting for the high, along with many trying for the low hand. If you prefer a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to play Omaha 8 or better.