Omaha Hi/Low: Fundamental Summary
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is commonly viewed as one of the most difficult but popular poker games. It’s a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites action from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once obscure game, has expanded in popularity so quickly.
Omaha hi lo starts like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to every player. A round of wagering follows where gamblers can bet, check, or fold. 3 cards are handed out, this is called the flop. Another round of betting happens. Once all the gamblers have in turn called or folded, another card is flipped on the turn. an additional sequence of wagering follows and then the river card is revealed. The gamblers must attempt to put together the best high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where some entrants can get flustered. Unlike Hold’em, in which the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player must use exactly three cards from the board, and precisely 2 cards from their hand. Not a single card more, no less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot could be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It is the best hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the very same concept in just about every poker game.
The low hand is more complex, but really opens up the action. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the weakest hand that could be made, with the lowest value being A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and lower. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there is no lower hand available, the high hand wins the complete pot.
It may seem difficult at the start, after a couple of rounds you will be able to get the basic subtleties of play simply enough. Seeing as you have individuals wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and since so many cards are being used at once, Omaha/8 offers an exciting assortment of betting options and seeing that you have numerous individuals battling for the high, as well as a few battling for the low. If you enjoy a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to play Omaha/8.
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