Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times viewed as one of the most complicated but well-loved poker games. It is a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for play from all levels of players. This is the chief reason why a once obscure variation, has expanded in popularity so amazingly.
Omaha 8 or better begins just like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to each player. A sequence of wagering follows where players can wager, check, or fold. Three cards are given out, this is called the flop. A further sequence of betting happens. Once all the gamblers have in turn called or folded, a further card is revealed on the turn. a further sequence of wagering ensues at which point the river card is revealed. The players must attempt to make the best high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where a number of players often get baffled. Unlike Texas Holdem, in which the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player has to utilize exactly 3 cards on the board, and precisely 2 cards from their hand. No more, no less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot might be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It’s the best hand out of everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the same notion in almost all poker games.
A lower hand is more complicated, but really free’s up the action. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the worst hand that can be made, with the worst being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and below. The low hand takes half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there’s no low hand presented, the high hand takes the complete pot.
While it seems complicated initially, after a few rounds you will be able to pick up on the base nuances of the game easily enough. Since you have individuals betting for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as so many cards are being used at once, Omaha 8 or better offers an amazing array of wagering possibilities and seeing that you have several players shooting for the high hand, and many battling for the low. If you like a game with a lot of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to play Omaha/8.
0 Responses
Stay in touch with the conversation, subscribe to the RSS feed for comments on this post.
You must be logged in to post a comment.