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 complicated but favored poker games. It’s a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for play from all levels of players. This is the chief reason why a once invisible variation, has grown in acceptance so amazingly.

Omaha/8 starts just like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are given out to every player. A sequence of wagering follows where gamblers can wager, check, or drop out. 3 cards are given out, this is known as the flop. Another sequence of betting ensues. Once all the gamblers have either called or folded, an additional card is flipped on the turn. an additional sequence of betting happens at which point the river card is flipped. The gamblers will have to make the strongest high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.

This is the point where a number of players often get flustered. Contrasted to Texas Holdem, in which the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player must utilize precisely 3 cards from the board, and exactly two 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 exactly what it sounds like. It’s the strongest possible hand out of everyone’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the identical concept in just about every poker game.

The low hand is more difficult, but really free’s up the play. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that can be put together, with the lowest value being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and lower. The low hand takes half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there is no low hand available, the higher hand takes the complete pot.

While it seems complex at the start, after a few rounds you will be able to pick up on the base nuances of play simply enough. Seeing as you have people wagering for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are being used at once, Omaha 8 or better offers an amazing range of wagering options and seeing that you have many players battling for the high, along with several shooting for the low. If you love a game with a lot of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha/8.