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 well-loved poker games. It’s a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites action from every level of players. This is the main reason why a once obscure variation, has increased in popularity so rapidly.

Omaha 8 or better starts exactly like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are given out to each player. A round of betting ensues where players can wager, check, or fold. Three cards are dealt out, this is known as the flop. One more sequence of wagering happens. After all the gamblers have either called or folded, another card is flipped on the turn. Another sequence of wagering happens and then the river card is flipped. The entrants will need to put together the strongest high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.

This is the point where many entrants get flustered. Unlike Holdem, where the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player has to utilize exactly 3 cards on the board, and exactly two hole cards. No more, no less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot may be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."

A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It is the best possible hand out of every player’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the very same approach in just about every poker game.

The low hand is more complicated, but really 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 put together, with the lowest being A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 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.

It may seem complex at the outset, after a few rounds you will be agile enough to get the fundamental nuances of play with ease. Seeing as you have players betting for the low and betting for the high, and since so many cards are being used at once, Omaha/8 offers an exciting range of wagering choices and seeing that you have numerous individuals battling for the high hand, as well as many shooting for the low. If you prefer a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it is worth your time to play Omaha hi/lo.