Omaha Hi-Lo: General Outline
Posted in Poker on 02/27/2019 10:25 am by Christopher
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is commonly seen as one of the most complicated but well-loved poker variations. It is a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for action from all levels of players. This is the primary reason why a once obscure game, has grown in popularity so rapidly.
Omaha/8 begins like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to each player. A round of wagering follows where gamblers can wager, check, or fold. Three cards are given out, this is called the flop. Another sequence of betting happens. After all the gamblers have either called or folded, an additional card is flipped on the turn. an additional round of betting happens at which point the river card is revealed. The entrants must attempt to make the strongest high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where a number of entrants can get baffled. Contrasted to Holdem, where the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi low the player has to use exactly 3 cards from the board, and precisely two hole cards. No more, no less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot may be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It’s the best hand out of everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the identical notion in almost all poker games.
The lower hand is more complex, but really opens up the action. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the weakest hand that can be made, with the worst being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and below. The low hand wins half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there’s no lower hand available, the high hand wins the whole pot.
Although it seems difficult at the start, following a couple of hands you will be agile enough to pick up on the basic nuances of the game simply enough. Seeing as you have individuals betting for the low and wagering for the high, and since so many cards are being used at once, Omaha/8 provides an amazing collection of wagering options and because you have many individuals shooting for the high, along with a few battling for the low hand. If you enjoy a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to play Omaha/8.