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 difficult but favored poker games. It is a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites play from all levels of players. This is the chief reason why a once obscure variation, has increased in acceptance so rapidly.

Omaha/8 starts exactly like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to each player. A round of betting follows where players can bet, check, or drop out. Three cards are handed out, this is known as the flop. Another sequence of betting happens. After all the gamblers have in turn called or dropped out, a further card is revealed on the turn. an additional round of wagering ensues at which point the river card is flipped. The players must attempt to make the best high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.

This is the point where a number of players often get confused. Unlike Holdem, 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 2 hole cards. No more, no less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot could be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."

A high hand is just how it sounds. It’s the best possible hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the very same notion in nearly every poker game.

The low hand is more difficult, but certainly free’s up the play. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the weakest hand that might be made, with the worst being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and lower. The low hand wins half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there is no lower hand presented, the high hand takes the complete pot.

It may seem complex initially, following a few hands you will be able to pick up on the fundamental nuances of play with ease. Since you have people wagering for the low and betting for the high, and since so many cards are being used at the same time, Omaha/8 offers an exciting collection of wagering choices and owing to the fact that you have many individuals trying for the high hand, as well as many trying for the low hand. If you love a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to play Omaha hi-low.