Omaha Strategy

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Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times seen as one of the most complicated but popular poker variations. 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 irrelevant variation, has expanded in popularity so rapidly.

Omaha hi low begins exactly like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to every player. A sequence of wagering follows where gamblers can wager, check, or fold. 3 cards are dealt out, this is known as the flop. A further sequence of betting happens. After all the players have in turn called or dropped out, a further card is flipped on the turn. Another sequence of wagering follows at which point the river card is flipped. The entrants must attempt to put together the strongest high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.

This is the point where many players can get confused. Unlike Holdem, where the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi low the player has to utilize precisely three cards from the board, and exactly two hole cards. No more, not a single card less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot might be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."

A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It is the best hand out of every player’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the same concept in almost all poker games.

A low hand is more complex, but certainly 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 made, with the lowest being A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and lower. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there’s no low hand available, the higher hand wins the entire pot.

It may seem complex at the outset, following a couple of hands you will be able to get the fundamental subtleties of the game easily enough. Seeing as you have players betting for the low and betting for the high, and since such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha 8 or better offers an amazing collection of wagering options and owing to the fact that you have many players battling for the high, along with a few shooting for the low. If you love a game with a lot of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha 8 or better.