Omaha Hi-Lo: Basic Outline
Tuesday, 22. May 2018
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is often times viewed as one of the most complicated but popular poker games. It’s a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for play from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once irrelevant variation, has increased in acceptance so amazingly.
Omaha hi low starts exactly like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to each player. A round of betting ensues in which players can bet, check, or drop out. 3 cards are given out, this is referred to as the flop. A further sequence of betting happens. After all the gamblers have either called or folded, another card is revealed on the turn. Another sequence of wagering ensues at which point the river card is flipped. The entrants will have to make the strongest high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is the point where a few entrants often get flustered. Unlike Hold’em, in which the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi low the player must utilize exactly 3 cards from the board, and precisely two cards from their hand. No more, not a single card less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot could be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It is the strongest possible hand out of everyone’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the identical concept in almost every poker game.
A lower 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 might be made, with the worst being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Since 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 lower hand takes half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there’s no low hand available, the high hand takes the whole pot.
It may seem complicated at first, after a few hands you will be able to pick up on the fundamental nuances of the game with ease. Seeing as you have players betting for the low and wagering for the high, and since such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha 8 or better provides an overwhelming collection of wagering options and because you have many individuals battling for the high, along with many trying for the low hand. If you prefer a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to play Omaha hi/low.
Posted in Poker by Nyasia