Omaha Hi-Lo: General Outline
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times viewed as one of the most difficult but favored poker games. It’s a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites play from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once irrelevant game, has expanded in popularity so amazingly.
Omaha 8 or better starts exactly like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to each player. A sequence of wagering follows where gamblers can bet, check, or drop out. Three cards are handed out, this is referred to as the flop. Another round of wagering ensues. Once all the gamblers have either called or folded, another card is flipped on the turn. Another sequence of wagering happens and then the river card is flipped. The entrants will need to make the best high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is the point where many players can get flustered. Unlike Texas Hold ‘Em, where the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player has to use precisely three cards from the board, and precisely 2 cards from their hand. No more, not a single card less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot could be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It is the best hand out of every player’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the same approach in nearly all poker games.
The low hand is more complicated, but certainly opens up the action. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the weakest hand that could be made, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes don’t 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 smaller. The low hand takes half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there is no lower hand available, the high hand wins the entire pot.
It may seem complicated at the start, following a few rounds you will be able to get the fundamental nuances of play easily enough. Seeing as you have people betting for the low and betting for the high, and since so many cards are in play, Omaha 8 or better provides an exciting array of wagering possibilities and seeing that you have many individuals shooting for the high, as well as a few shooting for the low hand. If you enjoy a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to participate in Omaha/8.
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