Omaha Hi/Lo: Basic Overview
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times seen as one of the most complicated but favored poker games. It is a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites play from every level of players. This is the main reason why a once irrelevant game, has grown in acceptance so amazingly.
Omaha 8 or better begins exactly like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to every player. A round of wagering follows in which players can wager, check, or drop out. Three cards are dealt out, this is known as the flop. Another round of wagering happens. Once all the players have either called or folded, an additional card is revealed on the turn. a further sequence of betting follows at which point the river card is flipped. The entrants must attempt to make the strongest high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where some players get flustered. Unlike Texas Hold ‘Em, in which the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi/low the player must use precisely 3 cards on the board, and exactly two cards from their hand. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot can be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It is the strongest hand out of every player’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the same concept in nearly every poker game.
A low hand is more complicated, but really opens up the play. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the worst hand that could be made, 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 lower hand wins half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there is no low hand available, the higher hand takes the whole pot.
While it seems difficult at first, following a few rounds you will be agile enough to get the basic nuances of the game easily enough. Seeing as you have people betting for the low and wagering for the high, and since such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha hi/low offers an amazing assortment of betting choices and because you have several players shooting for the high hand, as well as a few shooting for the low. If you prefer a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha hi/lo.
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