Omaha Hi Lo: General Overview
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, aims for action from all levels of players. This is the primary reason why a once obscure variation, has expanded in popularity so amazingly.
Omaha/8 begins just like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to every player. A sequence of wagering follows in which gamblers can wager, check, or drop out. 3 cards are handed out, this is called the flop. One more round of betting happens. Once all the gamblers have either called or folded, an additional card is flipped on the turn. a further round of wagering follows at which point the river card is flipped. The players must attempt to make the best high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where a few entrants get baffled. Contrasted to Texas Hold ‘Em, in which the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/low the player has to use exactly three cards on the board, and precisely two hole cards. No more, not a single card less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot could be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It’s the best possible hand out of everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the very same approach in nearly every poker game.
A low hand is more difficult, but certainly free’s up the action. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the weakest hand that might be put together, with the lowest being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Because 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 wins half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there’s no lower hand presented, the high hand wins the whole pot.
Although it seems complicated at first, after a few hands you will be agile enough to pick up on the basic nuances of the game with ease. Seeing as you have people betting for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are being used at the same time, Omaha 8 or better provides an amazing range of wagering choices and seeing that you have many individuals battling for the high, as well as many trying for the low hand. If you love a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to participate in Omaha/8.