01
April
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 complex but popular poker variations. It’s a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites action from all levels of players. This is the main reason why a once invisible game, has expanded in popularity so quickly.
Omaha 8 or better begins like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to every player. A sequence of wagering follows in which players can bet, check, or fold. Three cards are handed out, this is called the flop. A further sequence of betting happens. After all the gamblers have in turn called or folded, a further card is revealed on the turn. Another round of wagering follows at which point the river card is flipped. The players will have to put together the strongest high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where many entrants can get flustered. Unlike Texas Hold ‘Em, where the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi low the player must utilize exactly 3 cards on the board, and precisely two cards from their hand. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot could be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It is the best hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the same approach in almost every poker game.
A low hand is more complex, but certainly opens up the action. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the worst hand that might be made, 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 worst possible hand. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there’s no low hand presented, the higher hand takes the entire pot.
It may seem difficult at the outset, after a couple of hands you will be agile enough to pick up on the base subtleties of play easily enough. Seeing as you have individuals betting for the low and wagering for the high, and since such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha/8 provides an overwhelming range of wagering possibilities and because you have many players shooting for the high, along with many shooting for the low. If you love a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha/8.
Stay in touch with the conversation, subscribe to the RSS feed for comments on this post.
You must be logged in to post a comment.
