Omaha Strategy

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Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times viewed as one of the most difficult but popular poker variations. It’s a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for play from all levels of players. This is the main reason why a once invisible game, has expanded in popularity so quickly.

Omaha/8 starts like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to each player. A sequence of betting follows in which gamblers can wager, check, or drop out. Three cards are dealt out, this is referred to as the flop. A further round of betting happens. After all the gamblers have in turn called or dropped out, a further card is revealed on the turn. a further round of wagering follows and then the river card is revealed. The entrants will need to put together the best high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.

This is where some players can get baffled. Unlike Texas Holdem, in which the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi lo the player must utilize precisely 3 cards from the board, and exactly two hole cards. No more, no less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot can be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."

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

The low hand is more complex, but really opens up the action. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the weakest hand that can be made, with the lowest being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and lower. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there is no lower hand presented, the higher hand takes the whole pot.

It may seem difficult at first, after a couple of rounds you will be agile enough to pick up on the basic nuances of the game with ease. Since you have individuals wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as so many cards are in play, Omaha 8 or better offers an exciting range of wagering choices and because you have several individuals trying for the high hand, along with 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 participate in Omaha/8.