Omaha Strategy

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Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is commonly seen as one of the most complex but popular poker games. It’s a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites play from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once obscure game, has expanded in acceptance so quickly.

Omaha/8 starts exactly like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are given out to every player. A sequence of betting follows in which gamblers can wager, check, or drop out. Three cards are handed out, this is known as the flop. A further round of betting happens. After all the players have in turn called or dropped out, a further card is flipped on the turn. Another round of wagering ensues at which point the river card is flipped. The entrants must attempt to make the strongest high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.

This is where many entrants often get flustered. Unlike Texas Hold ‘Em, in which the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi low the player has to use exactly three cards from the board, and exactly 2 hole cards. Not a single card more, no less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot could be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."

A high hand is just how it sounds. It’s the best possible hand out of every player’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the very same approach in almost all poker games.

The low hand is more complicated, but really free’s up the play. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the worst hand that could be put together, with the lowest value being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and lower. The low hand wins half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there’s no lower hand presented, the higher hand wins the complete pot.

It may seem difficult at first, after a few rounds you will be able to get the base nuances of the game with ease. Seeing as you have individuals betting for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha/8 provides an overwhelming assortment of wagering options and owing to the fact that you have many individuals trying for the high hand, and several battling 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.