Omaha Hi Lo: General Overview
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times viewed as one of the most difficult but well-loved poker games. It is a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites play from all levels of players. This is the chief reason why a once obscure game, has expanded in popularity so quickly.
Omaha/8 starts like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to every player. A round of betting ensues in which gamblers can wager, check, or drop out. 3 cards are given out, this is known as the flop. Another round of betting happens. Once all the gamblers have in turn called or dropped out, another card is revealed on the turn. an additional sequence of betting ensues at which point the river card is flipped. The entrants must attempt to put together the strongest high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where many entrants often get baffled. Unlike Hold’em, where the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player must use exactly three cards from the board, and precisely two hole cards. No more, no less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot could be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It is the strongest possible hand out of every player’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house. It is the identical concept in almost every poker game.
The lower hand is more complex, but really opens 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 put together, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The low 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 low hand presented, the high hand wins the entire pot.
It may seem complicated at first, after a couple of rounds you will be agile enough to pick up on the base nuances of play with ease. Since you have people wagering for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as so many cards are being used at once, Omaha 8 or better provides an exciting assortment of betting possibilities and owing to the fact that you have many individuals shooting for the high, along with several shooting for the low hand. If you like a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it is worth your time to play Omaha hi low.