Omaha Hi-Lo: Basic Summary
Posted in Omaha on 02/27/2018 09:25 am by Luna
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most complicated but popular poker variations. It’s a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for action from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once irrelevant game, has expanded in acceptance so rapidly.
Omaha/8 starts like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to each player. A round of betting ensues in which players can wager, check, or fold. Three cards are dealt out, this is known as the flop. Another round of wagering ensues. Once all the gamblers have in turn called or dropped out, an additional card is flipped on the turn. Another round of betting ensues at which point the river card is flipped. The entrants will need to make the strongest high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where some players often get flustered. Contrasted to Texas Holdem, where the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/low the player has to use exactly three cards on the board, and precisely 2 cards from their hand. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot can be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It’s the best possible hand out of every player’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the identical concept in just about all poker games.
The low hand is more complicated, but certainly opens up the action. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the weakest hand that could be made, with the worst being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and smaller. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there is no lower hand presented, the high hand takes the complete pot.
Although it seems complicated initially, following a few hands you will be able to get the fundamental subtleties of play easily enough. Seeing as you have people betting for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as so many cards are in play, Omaha hi/low provides an amazing assortment of betting choices and owing to the fact that you have several players shooting for the high, and several shooting for the low hand. If you like a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to play Omaha Hi-Lo.