Omaha Hi-Lo: General Overview
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most difficult but popular poker variations. It is a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for action from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once invisible variation, has increased in acceptance so amazingly.
Omaha/8 starts like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to each player. A round of betting follows where gamblers can bet, check, or fold. Three cards are given out, this is known as the flop. One more sequence of wagering ensues. After all the players have in turn called or folded, another card is flipped on the turn. an additional round of wagering follows and then the river card is revealed. The players will have to make the strongest high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where many players often get confused. Unlike Holdem, where the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player must utilize exactly 3 cards on the board, and precisely 2 hole cards. Not a single card more, no less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot may be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It is the strongest possible hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house. It is the very same concept in nearly all poker games.
A lower hand is more difficult, but certainly free’s up the play. When deciding on 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. Since straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and lower. The low hand takes half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there’s no lower hand available, the higher hand takes the whole pot.
While it seems complicated at the outset, after a couple of rounds you will be agile enough to get the base nuances of play simply enough. Since you have people wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are being used at once, Omaha hi/lo offers an exciting collection of betting possibilities and seeing that you have several individuals battling for the high hand, along with many battling for the low. If you prefer a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to play Omaha hi lo.