01
June
Written by Sophia.
Posted in: Poker
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is commonly viewed as one of the most difficult but well-loved poker variations. It is a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for play from all levels of players. This is the chief reason why a once irrelevant game, has increased in acceptance so quickly.
Omaha 8 or better begins just like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to each player. A round of wagering ensues in which players can wager, check, or fold. Three cards are handed out, this is called the flop. One more round of wagering ensues. After all the gamblers have in turn called or folded, another card is flipped on the turn. an additional sequence of wagering follows at which point the river card is flipped. The entrants will have to put together the strongest high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is the point where a few players get confused. Unlike Texas Hold ‘Em, in which the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player must use exactly three cards from the board, and exactly 2 hole cards. Not a single card more, no less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot can be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It is the best possible hand out of every player’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the same concept in almost every poker game.
A low hand is more difficult, but really opens up the action. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that can be made, with the worst being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and below. The low hand takes half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there’s no low hand presented, the high hand takes the complete pot.
While it seems complex at first, after a few hands you will be able to pick up on the basic subtleties of the game easily enough. Since you have players betting for the low and wagering for the high, and since so many cards are in play, Omaha/8 provides an exciting range of betting possibilities and seeing that you have numerous players shooting for the high, as well as several shooting for the low hand. If you like a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha hi low.
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