Omaha Hi-Low: General Overview
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is often times viewed as one of the most difficult but popular poker variations. It is a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for play from all levels of players. This is the primary reason why a once irrelevant game, has expanded in acceptance so amazingly.
Omaha/8 begins exactly like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed 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 called the flop. Another round of wagering ensues. Once all the gamblers have in turn called or folded, an additional card is revealed on the turn. Another round of betting ensues and then the river card is flipped. The gamblers will need to make the strongest high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is the point where some players often get baffled. Contrasted to Holdem, in which the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi lo the player must utilize precisely 3 cards on the board, and precisely 2 hole cards. Not a single card more, no less. Contrary to 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 is the strongest hand out of everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the identical approach in just about every poker game.
The low hand is more complex, but certainly free’s up the play. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that might be made, with the lowest being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest 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 does the high hand. When there’s no lower hand available, the high hand takes the entire pot.
Although it seems complicated at the outset, after a few hands you will be agile enough to get the base nuances of play simply enough. Seeing as you have players wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and since so many cards are being used at once, Omaha/8 provides an exciting array of wagering choices and owing to the fact that you have numerous players trying for the high hand, and several shooting for the low. If you like a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha Hi-Lo.