03
September
Written by Zain.
Posted in: Poker
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is often times viewed as one of the most complex but well-loved poker variations. It is a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites action from every level of players. This is the main reason why a once obscure game, has grown in popularity so rapidly.
Omaha hi low starts exactly like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to each player. A round of wagering follows in which players can bet, check, or fold. Three cards are dealt out, this is called the flop. A further round of betting ensues. After all the players have in turn called or dropped out, an additional card is revealed on the turn. Another round of betting happens at which point the river card is revealed. The gamblers must attempt to put together the strongest high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where a number of entrants get baffled. Contrasted to Holdem, in which the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player has to utilize exactly three cards from the board, and precisely two cards from their hand. No more, not a single card less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot could be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It’s the best possible hand out of everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the very same approach in almost all poker games.
The lower hand is more complex, but certainly free’s up the play. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that could 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 five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and lower. The low hand takes half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there is no lower hand available, the high hand takes the complete pot.
It may seem complex initially, following a couple of rounds you will be able to pick up on the basic subtleties of the game with ease. Seeing as you have players wagering for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are being used at once, Omaha 8 or better provides an exciting collection of betting options and owing to the fact that you have numerous players battling for the high hand, along with several shooting for the low hand. If you enjoy a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to compete in Omaha 8 or better.
Stay in touch with the conversation, subscribe to the RSS feed for comments on this post.
You must be logged in to post a comment.
