Omaha Strategy

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Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is commonly seen as one of the most complex but favored poker games. It is a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for play from all levels of players. This is the main reason why a once invisible variation, has grown in popularity so quickly.

Omaha 8 or better starts like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to each player. A round of wagering follows where gamblers can wager, check, or fold. 3 cards are handed out, this is known as the flop. Another round of betting ensues. Once all the players have in turn called or folded, a further card is flipped on the turn. Another sequence of wagering ensues and then the river card is revealed. The entrants will need to make the strongest high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.

This is the point where some entrants often get confused. Unlike Texas Hold ‘Em, where the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player has to utilize precisely 3 cards from the board, and precisely 2 hole cards. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot might be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."

A high hand is just what it sounds like. It’s the strongest possible hand out of every player’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the identical notion in nearly every poker game.

A low hand is more complicated, but really opens up the play. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the worst hand that can be made, with the lowest being A-2-3-4-5. Because 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 eight and smaller. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there’s no low hand available, the high hand takes the entire pot.

It may seem complex at the outset, after a few rounds you will be able to pick up on the basic nuances of the game with ease. Since you have people wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and since such a large number of cards are being used at the same time, Omaha/8 provides an amazing collection of wagering choices and seeing that you have numerous individuals battling for the high, and a few trying for the low hand. If you like a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha 8 or better.