Omaha Hi/Lo: General Outline
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is commonly seen as one of the most complicated but favored poker games. It’s a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for play from all levels of players. This is the primary reason why a once obscure variation, has grown in popularity so amazingly.
Omaha hi-low starts just like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to every player. A sequence of betting follows in which players can bet, check, or drop out. 3 cards are given out, this is known as the flop. A further round of wagering ensues. After all the players have in turn called or folded, another card is revealed on the turn. Another round of wagering follows and then the river card is revealed. The gamblers will have to make the strongest high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where many entrants get baffled. Unlike Texas Holdem, in which the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player must use precisely three cards from the board, and precisely two hole cards. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot could be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It is the strongest hand out of everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the identical notion in nearly all poker games.
A lower hand is more complicated, but really opens up the action. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that can be made, with the worst being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and smaller. The low hand wins half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there is no lower hand presented, the high hand wins the complete pot.
It may seem complex at first, after a few rounds you will be able to get the basic nuances of the game with ease. Since you have individuals wagering for the low and betting for the high, and since so many cards are being used at the same time, Omaha 8 or better provides an amazing array of wagering choices and because you have several players battling for the high hand, along with a few trying for the low hand. If you enjoy a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it is worth your time to play Omaha 8 or better.