Omaha Hi-Lo: General Overview
Posted in Omaha on 02/08/2007 01:19 pm by Luna
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is often times viewed as one of the most complicated but well-loved poker variations. It’s a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for play from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once irrelevant game, has expanded in popularity so amazingly.
Omaha 8 or better begins exactly like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are given out to every player. A sequence of betting ensues where gamblers can bet, check, or fold. Three cards are dealt out, this is referred to as the flop. One more round of wagering ensues. Once all the players have either called or folded, a further card is revealed on the turn. a further round of wagering ensues and then the river card is flipped. The gamblers will have to put together the best high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where a few entrants get flustered. Unlike Texas Holdem, where the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/low the player has to utilize precisely three cards on the board, and exactly two cards from their hand. Not a single card more, no less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot could be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It’s the best hand out of every player’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the very same approach in just about all poker games.
A lower hand is more complex, but certainly opens up the action. 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. Since straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and below. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there is no lower hand presented, the high hand wins the entire pot.
It may seem complex initially, after a few hands you will be able to get the fundamental subtleties of play easily enough. Since you have individuals wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as so many cards are being used at the same time, Omaha hi lo offers an exciting array of wagering options and owing to the fact that you have several players trying for the high, along with a few trying for the low. If you like a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha/8.