Omaha Strategy

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Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is commonly seen as one of the most difficult but popular poker variations. It is a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites action from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once obscure variation, has increased in popularity so rapidly.

Omaha/8 begins just like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to each player. A round of wagering follows where players can wager, check, or fold. 3 cards are dealt out, this is referred to as the flop. A further round of wagering ensues. Once all the players have in turn called or dropped out, an additional card is flipped on the turn. an additional round of betting happens at which point the river card is revealed. The entrants will have to make the strongest high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.

This is the point where many entrants get flustered. Unlike Texas Holdem, where the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi lo the player must use precisely 3 cards on the board, and precisely 2 hole cards. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot can be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."

A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It is the best hand out of everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the identical approach in almost every poker game.

The lower hand is more complicated, but really free’s up the action. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the worst hand that might be made, with the lowest being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there’s no lower hand presented, the higher hand wins the entire pot.

Although it seems complicated at the start, following a few hands you will be able to get the fundamental subtleties of play with ease. Since you have individuals wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as so many cards are being used at once, Omaha 8 or better provides an amazing range of wagering possibilities and because you have numerous players shooting for the high hand, as well as several shooting for the low. If you enjoy a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha hi/lo.