Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times seen as one of the most complex but favored poker games. It is a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for play from all levels of players. This is the chief reason why a once obscure game, has grown in popularity so quickly.
Omaha 8 or better begins just like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to each player. A round of wagering follows in which players can wager, check, or drop out. 3 cards are handed out, this is known as the flop. A further round of betting happens. After all the gamblers have either called or folded, another card is revealed on the turn. a further sequence of wagering happens 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 the point where many entrants get baffled. Contrasted to Hold’em, where the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player must utilize precisely three cards from the board, and exactly 2 cards from their hand. Not a single card more, no less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot can be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."
A high hand is just what it sounds like. It’s the strongest possible hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the same approach in nearly every poker game.
A low hand is more difficult, but really opens up the play. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that could be put together, with the lowest value being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. The low hand takes half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there is no low hand available, the higher hand wins the entire pot.
It may seem complex at the start, after a couple of rounds you will be able to pick up on the base subtleties of play easily enough. Since you have players wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are being used at once, Omaha Hi-Lo offers an overwhelming array of wagering possibilities and because you have many individuals battling for the high, as well as many trying for the low. If you enjoy a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it is worth your time to compete in Omaha 8 or better.
August 8th, 2023
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