Omaha Hi Low: General Summary
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is commonly seen as one of the most difficult but popular poker variations. It’s a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites action from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once obscure variation, has expanded in popularity so amazingly.
Omaha hi/lo starts like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to each player. A round of betting ensues in which gamblers can bet, check, or drop out. Three cards are handed out, this is referred to as the flop. One more round of wagering happens. After all the players have either called or dropped out, another card is flipped on the turn. an additional round of wagering follows at which point the river card is revealed. The gamblers must attempt to make the best high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where many entrants get flustered. Contrasted to Holdem, where the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi lo the player has to use precisely 3 cards on the board, and precisely 2 cards from their hand. No more, not a single card less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot might be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It is the best possible hand out of everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the very same concept in just about all poker games.
A low hand is more complex, but certainly 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 might be put together, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and lower. The low hand takes half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there’s no low hand available, the high hand takes the complete pot.
While it seems complex at first, following a few rounds you will be agile enough to get the base subtleties of play simply enough. Seeing as you have individuals betting for the low and wagering for the high, and since so many cards are in play, Omaha/8 provides an amazing range of wagering possibilities and owing to the fact that you have numerous individuals shooting for the high hand, as well as a few battling for the low hand. If you prefer a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to play Omaha 8 or better.
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