21
December
Written by Manuel.
Posted in: Poker
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is often times viewed as one of the most difficult but well-loved poker variations. It is a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for play from all levels of players. This is the chief reason why a once irrelevant game, has grown in acceptance so quickly.
Omaha hi-low starts exactly like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to every player. A round of wagering ensues in which gamblers can wager, check, or fold. 3 cards are dealt out, this is known as the flop. Another sequence of betting ensues. Once all the gamblers have in turn called or dropped out, an additional card is flipped on the turn. Another sequence of betting follows at which point the river card is revealed. The gamblers will need to make the strongest high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where some entrants often get baffled. Unlike Texas Hold ‘Em, where the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player has to utilize exactly 3 cards from the board, and exactly two hole cards. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot might be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It’s the best possible hand out of everyone’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house. It is the same concept in just about all poker games.
The lower hand is more complex, but really free’s up the action. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that could be put together, with the lowest being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. The low hand takes half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there is no lower hand presented, the higher hand takes the whole pot.
It may seem complex at the outset, following a few rounds you will be able to pick up on the basic subtleties of play with ease. Seeing as you have players betting for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha Hi-Lo provides an exciting range of betting possibilities and because you have several individuals battling for the high hand, as well as many shooting for the low hand. If you love a game with a lot of outs and actions, it is worth your time to compete in Omaha/8.
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