16
August
Written by Michelle.
Posted in: Poker
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is frequently viewed as one of the most complex but well-loved poker games. It is a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites action from all levels of players. This is the chief reason why a once irrelevant variation, has grown in popularity so rapidly.
Omaha 8 or better begins like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to each player. A round of betting ensues in which gamblers can bet, check, or fold. 3 cards are handed out, this is known as the flop. Another sequence of wagering happens. After all the players have in turn called or folded, an additional card is revealed on the turn. Another round of betting ensues at which point the river card is revealed. The gamblers will need to put together the strongest high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is the point where a few entrants can get flustered. Contrasted to Hold’em, where the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi lo the player has to use precisely 3 cards on the board, and exactly 2 cards from their hand. No more, no less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot may be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It’s the strongest possible hand out of everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the same concept in just about every poker game.
The lower hand is more difficult, but certainly free’s up the action. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the worst hand that could be made, with the lowest being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and lower. The low hand wins half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there is no low hand presented, the higher hand takes the entire pot.
It may seem difficult at the start, following a couple of hands you will be able to get the base nuances of play with ease. Seeing as you have people betting for the low and wagering for the high, and since such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha/8 provides an overwhelming array of wagering choices and because you have many players shooting for the high hand, as well as a few shooting for the low hand. If you prefer a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it is worth your time to participate in Omaha 8 or better.
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