Omaha Strategy

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Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most complex but favored poker games. It’s a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites play from all levels of players. This is the primary reason why a once obscure variation, has expanded in popularity so quickly.

Omaha/8 starts just like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to every player. A round of betting ensues where gamblers can bet, check, or drop out. 3 cards are dealt out, this is called the flop. One more sequence of betting ensues. Once all the players have in turn called or dropped out, another card is revealed on the turn. Another sequence of wagering follows at which point the river card is flipped. The players will have to put together the best high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.

This is the point where a number of entrants often get baffled. Contrasted to Holdem, in which the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player has to use exactly three cards from the board, and precisely 2 hole cards. Not a single card more, no less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot might be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."

A high hand is just how it sounds. It is the strongest hand out of everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the same concept in just about every poker game.

The lower hand is more complicated, but really opens up the action. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the weakest hand that might be made, with the lowest value 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 low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and smaller. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there is no lower hand available, the high hand wins the complete pot.

It may seem complex initially, following a couple of rounds you will be able to get the fundamental nuances of play easily enough. Seeing as you have individuals wagering for the low and betting for the high, and since such a large number of cards are being used at the same time, Omaha hi/lo offers an amazing range of wagering options and owing to the fact that you have many players battling for the high, along with several trying for the low. If you prefer a game with a lot of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha/8.