09
November
Written by Abdiel.
Posted in: Poker
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times viewed as one of the most complicated but well-loved poker games. It’s a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for action from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once obscure game, has grown in popularity so rapidly.
Omaha/8 begins exactly like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to every player. A sequence of betting follows where gamblers can wager, check, or drop out. Three cards are given out, this is called the flop. One more round of betting ensues. Once all the players have either called or folded, another card is revealed on the turn. a further round of wagering ensues and then the river card is revealed. The entrants must attempt to put together the strongest high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is the point where some entrants often get flustered. Contrasted to Holdem, where the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi lo the player has to use exactly 3 cards on the board, and exactly two cards from their hand. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot can be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It is the best hand out of everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the identical concept in almost every poker game.
A lower hand is more difficult, but certainly opens up the action. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that can be made, with the lowest value 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 five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. The low hand takes half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there’s no low hand available, the higher hand takes the entire pot.
It may seem complex at the outset, after a few rounds you will be able to get the fundamental subtleties of play easily enough. Since you have players wagering for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are being used at once, Omaha hi low offers an exciting range of wagering options and seeing that you have many players shooting for the high, along with a few trying for the low. If you prefer a game with a lot of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to play Omaha/8.
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