2017
10.14

Omaha Hi-Low: Basic Outline

[ English ]

Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most complicated but well-loved poker variations. 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 increased in acceptance so amazingly.

Omaha/8 starts just like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to each player. A round of betting ensues in which players can wager, check, or drop out. Three cards are given out, this is referred to as the flop. One more sequence of betting happens. Once all the gamblers have in turn called or folded, a further card is flipped on the turn. Another sequence of betting ensues at which point the river card is flipped. The entrants will have to put together the strongest high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.

This is where a number of players get baffled. Unlike Texas Hold ‘Em, where the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi low the player has to use precisely 3 cards from the board, and exactly 2 cards from their hand. No more, no less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot may be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."

A high hand is just how it sounds. It is the strongest possible hand out of everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the identical approach in nearly every poker game.

A low hand is more complicated, but certainly opens up the action. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that might be put together, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and smaller. The low hand wins half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there’s no lower hand presented, the higher hand takes the complete pot.

It may seem complicated at first, after a couple of rounds you will be able to get the base subtleties of play simply enough. Seeing as you have individuals betting for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are being used at once, Omaha hi-low offers an exciting assortment of betting possibilities and because you have several players shooting for the high hand, and a few trying for the low. If you prefer a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha 8 or better.