16
February
Written by Abdiel.
Posted in: Poker
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is commonly viewed as one of the most difficult but favored poker variations. It’s a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for play from every level of players. This is the main reason why a once irrelevant variation, has grown in acceptance so amazingly.
Omaha Hi-Lo begins just like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are given out to every player. A sequence of betting follows where players can bet, check, or drop out. Three cards are given out, this is called the flop. One more sequence of betting happens. Once all the gamblers have either called or folded, an additional card is flipped on the turn. Another round of betting follows and then the river card is flipped. The players will need to put together the strongest high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where a few entrants often get flustered. Unlike Hold’em, in which the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player has to utilize exactly 3 cards on the board, and exactly two hole cards. No more, not a single card less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot can be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It is the best hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the identical notion in almost every poker game.
A lower hand is more difficult, but really free’s up the action. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the worst hand that can be put together, with the lowest being A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and smaller. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there’s no lower hand available, the high hand wins the whole pot.
It may seem difficult at the start, after a few rounds you will be able to pick up on the fundamental nuances of play simply enough. Since you have individuals betting for the low and wagering for the high, and since such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha 8 or better offers an exciting range of wagering possibilities and seeing that you have numerous players shooting for the high, as well as several trying for the low hand. If you prefer a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha 8 or better.
Stay in touch with the conversation, subscribe to the RSS feed for comments on this post.
You must be logged in to post a comment.
