Omaha Hi-Lo: Fundamental Outline
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’s a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites action from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once invisible game, has increased in popularity so rapidly.
Omaha 8 or better begins just like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to each player. A round of betting ensues in which gamblers can wager, check, or drop out. Three cards are dealt out, this is known as the flop. A further round of betting happens. After all the players have in turn called or folded, another card is flipped on the turn. an additional sequence of wagering follows at which point the river card is flipped. The gamblers will have to put together the strongest high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is the point where a few entrants get baffled. Contrasted to Hold’em, in which the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player must use precisely 3 cards from the board, and exactly 2 hole cards. Not a single card more, no less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot can be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It is the strongest hand out of every player’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the same approach in just about all poker games.
A low hand is more difficult, but really free’s up the play. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the worst hand that can be put together, with the worst being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and smaller. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there’s no low hand presented, the higher hand wins the whole pot.
It may seem complex at first, following a few rounds you will be agile enough to get the base subtleties of play simply enough. Seeing as you have people wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are being used at the same time, Omaha/8 offers an overwhelming range of betting choices and seeing that you have many individuals shooting for the high, along with a few shooting for the low. If you prefer a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it is worth your time to participate in Omaha/8.