All About Omaha
Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is commonly viewed as one of the most complicated but favored poker games. It’s a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites action from all levels of players. This is the main reason why a once invisible game, has expanded in acceptance so quickly.
Omaha/8 begins just like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to every player. A sequence of wagering ensues in which gamblers can wager, check, or fold. 3 cards are given out, this is known as the flop. A further round of betting ensues. After all the gamblers have in turn called or folded, an additional card is flipped on the turn. an additional sequence of betting happens and then the river card is revealed. The players will need to make the strongest high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is where a number of players often get flustered. Contrasted to Holdem, in which the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/low the player must utilize exactly three cards from the board, and exactly 2 cards from their hand. No more, not a single card less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot may be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It is the strongest hand out of everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the same concept in just about all poker games.
A lower hand is more complicated, but certainly opens up the action. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the worst hand that might be put together, with the lowest being A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and below. The low hand takes half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there is no lower hand available, the high hand takes the entire pot.
It may seem complicated at the start, following a few hands you will be able to get the fundamental nuances of the game with ease. Seeing as you have individuals wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and since such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha 8 or better provides an exciting array of betting options and because you have several individuals trying for the high hand, along with several trying for the low hand. If you like a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to play Omaha High-Low.