Omaha Hi-Lo: General Overview
Posted in Poker on 05/09/2010 07:21 pm by Caylee
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is frequently viewed as one of the most complicated but favored poker variations. It’s a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites action from all levels of players. This is the primary reason why a once invisible game, has grown in acceptance so quickly.
Omaha hi low starts just like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to each player. A round of wagering ensues in which gamblers can wager, check, or fold. 3 cards are handed out, this is referred to as the flop. One more sequence of betting ensues. After all the players have in turn called or folded, a further card is revealed on the turn. an additional round of wagering happens and then the river card is revealed. The entrants must attempt to make the strongest high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is the point where a number of entrants often get confused. Contrasted to Holdem, in which the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi lo the player has to use exactly three cards on the board, and precisely 2 cards from their hand. Not a single card more, no less. Unlike normal 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’s the best hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the very same concept in just about all poker games.
A low hand is more complicated, but really opens up the play. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that might be made, with the lowest value being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there is no lower hand available, the high hand takes the complete pot.
While it seems complex at the start, following a few rounds you will be agile enough to pick up on the basic nuances of play with ease. Seeing as you have people wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and since such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha 8 or better provides an amazing collection of betting possibilities and seeing that you have numerous players battling for the high hand, along with a few trying for the low. If you like a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to participate in Omaha hi lo.