25
December
Written by Zain.
Posted in: Poker
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is commonly seen as one of the most difficult but favored poker games. It is a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for play from all levels of players. This is the main reason why a once irrelevant game, has expanded in popularity so amazingly.
Omaha/8 begins just like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to every player. A round of wagering ensues in which players can wager, check, or fold. 3 cards are handed out, this is called the flop. A further round of betting ensues. Once all the players have in turn called or dropped out, an additional card is revealed on the turn. Another sequence of wagering happens at which point the river card is revealed. The entrants must attempt to put together the best high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where a number of players get confused. Unlike Hold’em, where the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi low the player has to use exactly 3 cards on the board, and exactly 2 hole cards. Not a single card more, no less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot can be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It is the best hand out of every player’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the same approach in nearly every poker game.
A low hand is more complicated, but certainly free’s up the play. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the weakest hand that can be put together, with the worst being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest 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 is no lower hand presented, the higher hand takes the entire pot.
Although it seems complicated initially, after a few hands you will be able to get the fundamental nuances of play with ease. Seeing as you have individuals betting 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 amazing array of betting options and seeing that you have several players battling for the high, and a few trying for the low. If you prefer a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha Hi-Lo.
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