Omaha Hi-Lo: Basic Overview
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most complex but favored poker games. It is a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for action from all levels of players. This is the main reason why a once obscure game, has grown in acceptance so amazingly.
Omaha 8 or better starts exactly like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to each player. A round of betting follows in which players can bet, check, or fold. Three cards are handed out, this is referred to as the flop. Another sequence of betting happens. After all the gamblers have in turn called or dropped out, another card is flipped on the turn. an additional round of wagering happens and then the river card is revealed. The entrants will need to make the strongest high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where a number of entrants can get flustered. Unlike Holdem, where the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player must use exactly three cards on the board, and exactly two hole cards. No more, not a single card less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot might be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It is the best hand out of everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the identical concept in just about all poker games.
A low hand is more complicated, but really free’s up the play. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the weakest hand that can be put together, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and below. The low hand takes half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there’s no low hand available, the high hand takes the complete pot.
It may seem difficult at the outset, following a few rounds you will be agile enough to pick up on the fundamental subtleties of the game easily enough. Since you have players betting for the low and wagering for the high, and since such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha Hi-Lo provides an overwhelming range of betting options and seeing that you have numerous players battling for the high hand, as well as many battling for the low hand. If you enjoy a game with a lot of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to participate in Omaha/8.