15
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 complicated but favored poker variations. It’s a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for action from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once obscure game, has increased in acceptance so amazingly.
Omaha 8 or better begins exactly like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to each player. A round of wagering follows in which gamblers can wager, check, or drop out. 3 cards are dealt out, this is referred to as the flop. Another sequence of wagering happens. Once all the gamblers have in turn called or folded, a further card is flipped on the turn. an additional sequence of betting ensues at which point the river card is revealed. The entrants must attempt to make the strongest high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where many entrants can get confused. Unlike Texas Hold ‘Em, where the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player has to utilize exactly 3 cards from the board, and exactly 2 hole cards. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot could be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It’s the best possible hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the same concept in almost all poker games.
The lower hand is more difficult, but really opens up the action. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the weakest hand that might be made, with the lowest value being A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and smaller. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there’s no low hand presented, the higher hand takes the entire pot.
It may seem complicated initially, following a couple of hands you will be able to pick up on the base nuances of the game with ease. Seeing as you have players betting for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as so many cards are in play, Omaha/8 offers an overwhelming collection of betting choices and seeing that you have several players trying for the high hand, along with several shooting for the low hand. If you prefer a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha/8.
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