Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is frequently viewed as one of the most difficult but popular poker variations. It’s a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for action from all levels of players. This is the primary reason why a once invisible variation, has expanded in popularity so rapidly.
Omaha/8 begins exactly like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to every player. A round of wagering ensues where gamblers can bet, check, or drop out. Three cards are handed out, this is called the flop. A further round of betting happens. After all the gamblers have either called or folded, an additional card is revealed on the turn. a further sequence of wagering ensues at which point the river card is flipped. The entrants will need 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. Unlike Texas Holdem, where the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player has to utilize precisely three cards from the board, and exactly 2 cards from their hand. No more, no less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot can be won: the "high 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 notion in nearly all poker games.
The low hand is more complicated, but really free’s up the play. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the weakest hand that can be made, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and lower. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there’s no lower hand available, the higher hand wins the entire pot.
It may seem complicated at the start, following a few hands you will be agile enough to pick up on the fundamental subtleties of play with ease. Since you have players wagering for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha/8 offers an exciting assortment of wagering options and seeing that you have numerous individuals trying for the high hand, as well as a few trying for the low hand. If you prefer a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to play Omaha hi-low.
February 12th, 2016
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