19
February
Written by Darwin.
Posted in: Poker
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is often times viewed as one of the most difficult but favored poker games. It is a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for play from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once invisible game, has expanded in popularity so rapidly.
Omaha 8 or better starts like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to every player. A round of betting ensues in which players can bet, check, or drop out. 3 cards are dealt out, this is referred to as the flop. A further round of betting happens. After all the players have either called or folded, an additional card is revealed on the turn. Another round of wagering ensues at which point the river card is revealed. The players will need to make the best high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.
This is where a number of entrants can get flustered. Unlike Hold’em, where the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player has to utilize exactly 3 cards on the board, and exactly two cards from their hand. No more, not a single card less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot may be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It’s the best hand out of every player’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house. It is the very same concept in just about every poker game.
A lower hand is more complicated, but really opens up the play. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that might be put together, with the lowest being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and below. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there is no lower hand available, the high hand wins the whole pot.
While it seems complex initially, following a couple of hands you will be able to get the base nuances of the game with ease. Since you have people betting for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as so many cards are being used at the same time, Omaha hi low offers an exciting assortment of wagering options and seeing that you have many individuals shooting for the high, as well as a few battling for the low. If you enjoy a game with a lot of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha/8.
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