Omaha Strategy

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Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is commonly seen as one of the most difficult but favored poker variations. It is a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites action from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once invisible game, has grown in popularity so quickly.

Omaha/8 begins like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to each player. A round of betting follows where players can wager, check, or drop out. Three cards are given out, this is known as the flop. A further sequence of betting ensues. After all the players have either called or folded, an additional card is flipped on the turn. Another round of wagering happens and then the river card is revealed. The entrants will need to put together the strongest high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.

This is where a number of players often get flustered. Contrasted to Texas Hold ‘Em, in which the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player has to use exactly 3 cards on the board, and exactly 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 might be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."

A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It’s the strongest hand out of every player’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the same concept in almost all poker games.

A lower hand is more complex, but really free’s up the play. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that can be made, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and below. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there is no lower hand available, the high hand takes the whole pot.

While it seems complex at the start, after a few rounds you will be agile enough to get the base subtleties of the game with ease. Seeing as you have people betting for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as so many cards are being used at the same time, Omaha 8 or better offers an overwhelming range of betting options and owing to the fact that you have many players battling for the high hand, as well as several battling for the low. If you enjoy a game with a lot of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha 8 or better.