Omaha Hi Low: Basic Overview
Posted in Poker on 01/09/2016 02:21 am by Valerie
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most difficult but favored poker games. It’s a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for action from all levels of players. This is the chief reason why a once obscure game, has increased in acceptance so rapidly.
Omaha hi low begins just like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are given out to each player. A sequence of wagering follows where gamblers can wager, check, or drop out. 3 cards are dealt out, this is called the flop. One more sequence of wagering ensues. After all the gamblers have in turn called or folded, an additional card is flipped on the turn. Another sequence of betting happens at which point the river card is revealed. The gamblers will need to put together the strongest high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is the point where a number of players get flustered. Unlike Hold’em, where the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi/low the player must use exactly three cards on the board, and exactly 2 cards from their hand. No more, not a single card less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot might be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It is the strongest possible hand out of every player’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the identical concept in just about every poker game.
The lower hand is more difficult, but really opens up the play. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the weakest hand that can be put together, with the lowest 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 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and lower. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there is no lower hand available, the higher hand wins the whole pot.
Although it seems complicated at first, following a couple of hands you will be able to get the base nuances of play with ease. Seeing as you have individuals wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and since such a large number of cards are being used at the same time, Omaha 8 or better provides an amazing assortment of betting choices and seeing that you have numerous players battling for the high hand, as well as several shooting for the low. If you enjoy a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to play Omaha 8 or better.