Omaha Hi/Low: General Outline
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is often times seen as one of the most complex but favored poker variations. It is a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for action from all levels of players. This is the primary reason why a once obscure game, has expanded in popularity so quickly.
Omaha Hi-Lo starts like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to each player. A round of wagering follows where players can wager, check, or drop out. 3 cards are given out, this is called the flop. Another sequence of betting happens. Once all the gamblers have in turn called or folded, another card is flipped on the turn. Another sequence of betting follows at which point the river card is flipped. The gamblers must attempt to put together the strongest high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where a few players get confused. Contrasted to Holdem, where the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player has to use exactly 3 cards from the board, and exactly two cards from their hand. Not a single card more, no less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot could be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It is the strongest hand out of everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the identical concept in just about all poker games.
A low hand is more complicated, but certainly opens up the action. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that can be put together, with the lowest being A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and smaller. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there is no low hand available, the high hand takes the whole pot.
It may seem complex at the start, after a few rounds you will be agile enough to pick up on the fundamental subtleties of play simply enough. Since you have people betting for the low and betting for the high, and since such a large number of cards are being used at once, Omaha hi/low offers an overwhelming range of betting possibilities and because you have numerous individuals trying for the high, along with many battling for the low hand. If you enjoy a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to compete in Omaha Hi-Lo.
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