Omaha Hi-Low: General Overview
Posted in Poker on 02/01/2010 04:21 pm by Skyla
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 all levels of players. This is the primary reason why a once obscure variation, has expanded in popularity so amazingly.
Omaha hi-low starts just like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to each player. A sequence of wagering follows in which gamblers can wager, check, or drop out. 3 cards are given out, this is referred to as the flop. One more round of betting happens. Once all the gamblers have in turn called or dropped out, a further card is flipped on the turn. Another sequence of wagering follows and then the river card is revealed. The entrants will need to put together the best high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.
This is the point where many players can get flustered. Contrasted to Texas Holdem, in which the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/low the player has to use exactly 3 cards on the board, and precisely 2 cards from their hand. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot can be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."
A high hand is just how it sounds. It is the best possible hand out of every player’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the same approach in just about all poker games.
A low hand is more complicated, but really opens up the play. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the weakest hand that might be put together, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and below. The low hand takes half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there’s no low hand presented, the higher hand takes the complete pot.
It may seem complex at the outset, following a few rounds you will be agile enough to get the fundamental nuances of play with ease. Seeing as you have players betting for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as so many cards are in play, Omaha 8 or better offers an overwhelming range of wagering possibilities and because you have many individuals shooting for the high, as well as a few trying for the low hand. If you enjoy a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to play Omaha 8 or better.