26
November
Written by Manuel.
Posted in: Poker
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is often times seen as one of the most difficult but favored poker variations. It’s a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for play from every level of players. This is the main reason why a once obscure variation, has expanded in acceptance so quickly.
Omaha 8 or better begins just like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to every player. A round of wagering ensues in which players can bet, check, or drop out. 3 cards are dealt out, this is referred to as the flop. Another sequence of wagering ensues. After all the players have in turn called or folded, a further card is flipped on the turn. Another round of wagering happens and then the river card is flipped. The gamblers will have to make the strongest high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where a few players get flustered. Unlike Texas Holdem, where the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player has to use exactly 3 cards from the board, and precisely 2 hole cards. No more, not a single card less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot may be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It’s the strongest hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the very same notion in nearly every poker game.
The lower hand is more complicated, but certainly opens up the action. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that might be made, with the lowest value being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and lower. The low hand wins half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there’s no low hand presented, the higher hand wins the whole pot.
It may seem complex initially, after a couple of rounds you will be agile enough to pick up on the base subtleties of play with ease. Seeing as you have individuals wagering for the low and betting for the high, and since such a large number of cards are being used at once, Omaha 8 or better provides an exciting assortment of betting possibilities and because you have many players shooting for the high hand, along with many shooting for the low hand. If you like 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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