Omaha Hi-Low: Basic Summary
by Cheyenne on Wednesday, December 26th, 2018
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times seen as one of the most difficult but popular poker games. It is a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites play from all levels of players. This is the primary reason why a once obscure variation, has expanded in popularity so quickly.
Omaha 8 or better starts exactly like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to every player. A sequence of betting follows where gamblers can bet, check, or drop out. Three cards are handed out, this is called the flop. A further sequence of wagering happens. After all the gamblers have in turn called or folded, an additional card is flipped on the turn. a further round of betting follows at which point the river card is revealed. The entrants will have to put together the strongest high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is the point where a few players can get flustered. Unlike Texas Holdem, where the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player must use exactly 3 cards from the board, and precisely 2 hole cards. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot can be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It’s the best possible hand out of every player’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house. It is the identical concept in nearly every poker game.
A lower hand is more difficult, but certainly free’s up the action. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that could be put together, with the lowest value being A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and below. The low hand wins half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there’s no low hand presented, the higher hand takes the complete pot.
It may seem difficult at first, after a couple of rounds you will be agile enough to get the base subtleties of the game with ease. Seeing as you have people betting for the low and wagering for the high, and since such a large number of cards are being used at the same time, Omaha Hi-Lo offers an exciting assortment of wagering possibilities and seeing that you have many players battling for the high, along with many trying for the low. If you like a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to play Omaha 8 or better.
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