Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times viewed as one of the most complicated but well-loved poker variations. It is a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites play from all levels of players. This is the main reason why a once invisible variation, has increased in popularity so rapidly.
Omaha/8 begins exactly like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to each player. A sequence of wagering ensues where gamblers can bet, check, or drop out. Three cards are handed out, this is called the flop. One more round of betting ensues. Once all the gamblers have either called or dropped out, an additional card is revealed on the turn. Another sequence of wagering ensues at which point the river card is flipped. The players 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 some entrants often get flustered. Unlike Texas Holdem, in which the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi low the player must use exactly three cards on the board, and precisely 2 hole cards. No more, no less. Contrary to 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’s the strongest possible hand out of everyone’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the identical approach in almost all poker games.
The lower hand is more difficult, but certainly free’s up the play. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the weakest hand that could be made, with the lowest being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there is no low hand presented, the high hand takes the entire pot.
While it seems complicated at the start, following a couple of hands you will be able to pick up on the base nuances of play easily enough. Since you have players wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and since so many cards are in play, Omaha/8 offers an amazing collection of wagering possibilities and because you have many players shooting for the high hand, as well as several trying for the low. If you love a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to play Omaha/8.
This entry was posted on December 21, 2021, 2:25 am and is filed under Poker. You can follow any responses to this entry through RSS 2.0. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.