Omaha Hi/Lo: Basic Overview
Monday, 19. July 2010
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most complex but popular poker variations. It’s a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for action from all levels of players. This is the primary reason why a once obscure variation, has grown in acceptance so quickly.
Omaha 8 or better begins just like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to every player. A round of wagering follows where players can wager, check, or drop out. Three cards are given out, this is known as the flop. Another round of wagering happens. After all the gamblers have in turn called or folded, an additional card is revealed on the turn. a further round of wagering follows and then the river card is flipped. The players will have to put together the best high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is the point where many entrants often get confused. Contrasted to Texas Holdem, in which the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/low 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 regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot can be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It’s the strongest hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the identical notion in nearly all poker games.
A lower hand is more complex, but really free’s up the action. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the worst hand that could be made, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. 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 higher hand. When there is no low hand available, the higher hand wins the complete pot.
Although it seems complicated at the outset, following a couple of hands you will be agile enough to get the basic nuances of play easily enough. Seeing as you have individuals wagering for the low and betting for the high, and since so many cards are in play, Omaha hi-low provides an exciting array of wagering possibilities and because you have several players shooting for the high hand, and several battling for the low hand. If you like a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to participate in Omaha hi-low.
Posted in Poker by Winston