Omaha Hi-Lo: Fundamental Overview
Posted in Poker on 03/23/2011 05:21 am by Lilly
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is commonly seen as one of the most difficult but well-loved poker games. It is a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for play from all levels of players. This is the primary reason why a once obscure game, has expanded in acceptance so amazingly.
Omaha hi/low starts like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to every player. A round of betting follows in which players can bet, check, or drop out. Three cards are dealt out, this is referred to as the flop. A further sequence of betting ensues. After all the players have in turn called or dropped out, an additional card is flipped on the turn. a further sequence of wagering follows at which point the river card is revealed. The players will have to make the strongest high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where a number of players often get flustered. Unlike Holdem, where the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/low the player must use exactly three cards from the board, and precisely 2 hole cards. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot can be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It is the strongest hand out of everyone’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house. It is the identical concept in just about every poker game.
A low hand is more complex, but certainly free’s up the play. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that could be put together, with the lowest value being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and lower. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there’s no low hand available, the high hand takes the entire pot.
While it seems complex at the outset, following a few rounds you will be agile enough to get the fundamental nuances of the game simply enough. Seeing as you have players betting for the low and betting for the high, and since so many cards are being used at the same time, Omaha hi/lo offers an amazing collection of betting choices and owing to the fact that you have several players shooting for the high hand, along with many battling for the low hand. If you like a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha hi/low.