Omaha Hi-Lo: Basic Summary
Posted in Poker on 08/15/2019 03:25 pm by Lilly
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most difficult but favored poker variations. It’s a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites action from all levels of players. This is the main reason why a once invisible game, has grown in acceptance so rapidly.
Omaha hi/low starts like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to each player. A round of betting ensues where gamblers can bet, check, or drop out. 3 cards are dealt out, this is known as the flop. A further round of betting ensues. Once all the gamblers have in turn called or dropped out, an additional card is revealed on the turn. a further sequence of betting happens at which point the river card is revealed. The players will have to make the best high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is the point where a few players get baffled. Unlike Holdem, where the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi lo the player has to use exactly 3 cards on the board, and exactly two hole cards. Not a single card more, no less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot can be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It is 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 almost all poker games.
A low hand is more complex, but certainly 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 lowest value being A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and lower. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there’s no lower hand available, the higher hand wins the whole pot.
It may seem complex at the start, following a couple of hands you will be able to get the base subtleties of the game with ease. Since you have people wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as so many cards are in play, Omaha/8 provides an amazing assortment of betting choices and owing to the fact that you have many individuals trying for the high, as well as several battling for the low hand. 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.