Omaha Hi Lo: Fundamental Overview
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is commonly viewed as one of the most complex but favored poker variations. It’s a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for play from every level of players. This is the main reason why a once obscure variation, has grown in acceptance so amazingly.
Omaha hi lo starts just like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to each player. A sequence of wagering ensues where players can wager, check, or drop out. Three cards are dealt out, this is referred to as the flop. A further round of wagering ensues. Once all the gamblers have in turn called or folded, an additional card is revealed on the turn. Another round of wagering follows at which point the river card is revealed. The players must attempt to put together the best high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where some entrants often get baffled. Contrasted to Holdem, in which the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player has to use exactly 3 cards from the board, and precisely 2 hole cards. No more, not a single card less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot could be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It’s the best possible hand out of everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the very same approach in just about every poker game.
A low hand is more complex, but certainly opens up the play. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the weakest hand that can be made, with the lowest being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and smaller. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there’s no low hand available, the higher hand takes the whole pot.
Although it seems complex at first, following a few rounds you will be able to get the base nuances of the game with ease. Since you have individuals betting for the low and betting for the high, and since such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha hi-low offers an amazing range of wagering options and because you have many individuals battling for the high hand, along with a few battling for the low. If you prefer a game with a lot of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha 8 or better.
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