Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times seen as one of the most complex but well-loved poker variations. It is a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites action from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once irrelevant game, has grown in acceptance so rapidly.
Omaha/8 starts like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to every player. A round of betting follows where players can wager, check, or drop out. 3 cards are given out, this is referred to as the flop. Another sequence of wagering happens. Once all the players have either called or dropped out, an additional card is flipped on the turn. an additional sequence of betting ensues and then the river card is flipped. The players will need to put together the best high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is the point where some entrants often get flustered. Unlike Texas Hold ‘Em, in which the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi/low the player must utilize precisely three cards from the board, and precisely two hole cards. No more, not a single card less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot might be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It is the strongest possible hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the very same concept in just about every poker game.
The low hand is more difficult, but really free’s up the play. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the worst hand that can be put together, with the lowest being A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there is no lower hand presented, the high hand takes the whole pot.
Although it seems complicated initially, following a few hands you will be able to get the basic subtleties of play with ease. Since you have people betting for the low and betting for the high, and since so many cards are being used at once, Omaha hi lo provides an amazing array of wagering choices and because you have many players battling for the high, and a few trying for the low hand. If you like a game with a lot of outs and actions, it is worth your time to participate in Omaha hi/lo.
This entry was posted on December 7, 2016, 9:25 am and is filed under Poker. You can follow any responses to this entry through RSS 2.0. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.