09
December
Written by Zain.
Posted in: Poker
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is often times 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 primary reason why a once obscure game, has grown in acceptance so rapidly.
Omaha 8 or better starts like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to every player. A round of wagering follows where players can bet, check, or drop out. 3 cards are handed out, this is referred to as the flop. Another round of betting happens. Once all the players have either called or dropped out, an additional card is flipped on the turn. Another round of betting happens at which point the river card is revealed. The players will have to put together the strongest high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is the point where many entrants often get baffled. Contrasted to Texas Holdem, where the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player has to utilize precisely three cards on the board, and precisely two hole cards. No more, not a single card less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot could be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It’s the best possible hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the very same notion in nearly all poker games.
A low hand is more complex, but really free’s up the action. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the worst hand that can be made, with the lowest being A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and lower. The low hand takes half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there is no low hand presented, the higher hand takes the entire pot.
While it seems difficult at first, after a couple of hands you will be agile enough to pick up on the base nuances of play easily enough. Seeing as you have people wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and since so many cards are in play, Omaha/8 provides an overwhelming collection of betting choices and owing to the fact that you have several individuals trying for the high hand, along with several battling for the low. If you love a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to play Omaha 8 or better.
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