18
January
Written by Sophia.
Posted in: Poker
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times seen as one of the most difficult but favored poker variations. It’s a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for play from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once obscure variation, has expanded in acceptance so amazingly.
Omaha/8 begins just like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to each player. A sequence of betting follows where gamblers can bet, check, or fold. Three cards are handed out, this is called the flop. One more sequence of wagering ensues. Once all the players have either called or dropped out, a further card is flipped on the turn. an additional round of betting follows and then the river card is revealed. The gamblers will have to make the best high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is the point where many players get flustered. Contrasted to Texas Holdem, in which the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player must use precisely three cards from the board, and exactly 2 cards from their hand. No more, not a single card less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot can be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It’s the best hand out of everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house. It is the same approach in almost every poker game.
The lower hand is more difficult, but certainly opens up the action. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the worst hand that can be made, with the lowest value being A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and below. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there is no lower hand available, the high hand wins the complete pot.
It may seem complicated at the start, after a few hands you will be agile enough to pick up on the base nuances of the game with ease. Seeing as you have people betting for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha 8 or better offers an exciting array of wagering possibilities and seeing that you have several individuals battling for the high hand, as well as several battling for the low. If you like a game with a lot of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to play Omaha 8 or better.
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