Omaha Strategy

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Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is frequently viewed as one of the most complicated but well-loved poker variations. It’s a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for action from all levels of players. This is the main reason why a once irrelevant variation, has expanded in popularity so rapidly.

Omaha 8 or better starts just like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to every player. A sequence of betting follows where gamblers can wager, check, or drop out. Three cards are given out, this is referred to as the flop. Another round of wagering ensues. Once all the gamblers have in turn called or folded, another card is flipped on the turn. a further sequence of wagering follows and then the river card is flipped. The entrants will need to put together the best high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.

This is where a number of players get confused. Unlike Hold’em, in which the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/low the player must utilize exactly three cards on the board, and exactly two hole cards. No more, no less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot can 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 everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the very same notion in nearly every poker game.

A lower hand is more complicated, but really free’s up the action. When figuring out 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. Seeing as straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and lower. The low hand wins half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there is no low hand presented, the higher hand wins the complete pot.

It may seem complicated initially, following a couple of hands you will be able to pick up on the base subtleties of the game with ease. Since you have players betting for the low and wagering for the high, and since so many cards are in play, Omaha hi-low provides an exciting assortment of betting choices and because you have many players trying for the high hand, and several battling for the low. If you like a game with a lot of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to play Omaha hi-low.