Omaha Hi Lo: Basic Overview
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is commonly seen as one of the most complicated but popular poker variations. It’s a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites play from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once irrelevant variation, has grown in acceptance so amazingly.
Omaha 8 or better starts like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to every player. A sequence of wagering ensues in which players can bet, check, or drop out. 3 cards are dealt out, this is called the flop. One more round of betting ensues. After all the gamblers have in turn called or dropped out, a further card is revealed on the turn. a further round of betting ensues at which point the river card is revealed. The entrants must attempt to put together the best high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is the point where many entrants get baffled. Unlike Texas Holdem, where the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player must utilize precisely 3 cards from the board, and exactly two cards from their hand. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot might be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It’s the best possible hand out of every player’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house. It is the same notion in nearly every poker game.
The lower hand is more difficult, but certainly free’s up the play. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the worst hand that can be put together, with the lowest value being A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there is no low hand available, the high hand takes the whole pot.
While it seems complicated at first, after a few hands you will be agile enough to pick up on the base nuances of the game simply enough. Since you have players wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and since so many cards are in play, Omaha 8 or better provides an amazing collection of wagering options and seeing that you have several individuals battling for the high hand, and a few battling for the low. If you like a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha 8 or better.
No comments yet.