07.02
Omaha Hi Lo: Basic Outline
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is commonly seen as one of the most difficult but popular poker games. It’s a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for play from every level of players. This is the main reason why a once irrelevant variation, has increased in acceptance so amazingly.
Omaha/8 begins like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to every player. A round of betting follows where gamblers can bet, check, or drop out. 3 cards are dealt out, this is referred to as the flop. One more round of betting ensues. Once all the players have in turn called or folded, an additional card is flipped on the turn. an additional round of wagering happens at which point the river card is revealed. The entrants will need to put together the strongest high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where many players get flustered. Unlike Texas Holdem, in which the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player must utilize exactly 3 cards on the board, and exactly 2 cards from their hand. No more, not a single card less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot might 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, whether that is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the identical notion in nearly every poker game.
A low hand is more complex, but certainly opens up the play. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the worst hand that can be made, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and smaller. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there’s no lower hand presented, the higher hand takes the entire pot.
It may seem difficult at the outset, after a few hands you will be able to get the basic subtleties of play easily enough. Seeing as you have people wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and since such a large number of cards are being used at the same time, Omaha High-Low provides an exciting range of betting options and owing to the fact that you have numerous individuals shooting for the high hand, and a few battling for the low. If you like a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to play Omaha 8 or better.