Omaha Hi/Low: Fundamental Overview
Posted in Poker on 12/29/2016 09:25 am by Valerie
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is commonly seen as one of the most complex but well-loved poker variations. It is a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for play from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once obscure game, has expanded in popularity so rapidly.
Omaha/8 starts just like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to each 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. Another round of wagering ensues. Once all the players have in turn called or dropped out, another card is revealed on the turn. an additional sequence of wagering happens and then the river card is flipped. The gamblers will have to put together the best high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where a few entrants can get baffled. Unlike Texas Hold ‘Em, in which the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player must utilize precisely three cards from the board, and precisely 2 cards from their hand. No more, not a single card less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are 2 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 possible hand out of every player’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the very same concept in nearly every poker game.
A lower hand is more complex, but really opens up the play. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the worst hand that could be made, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Considering that 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 8 and smaller. The low hand wins half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there’s no lower hand presented, the high hand wins the entire pot.
While it seems complex at first, following a couple of rounds you will be agile enough to get the base nuances of the game simply enough. Seeing as you have people betting for the low and betting for the high, and since so many cards are being used at the same time, Omaha High-Low provides an amazing array of wagering choices and because you have several players shooting for the high, as well as a few battling for the low. If you enjoy a game with a lot of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha/8.