Omaha Strategy

Read more about the
Las Vegas 2024 Super
Bowl Streaker!

Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is frequently viewed as one of the most difficult but well-loved poker variations. It is a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites action from every level of players. This is the main reason why a once irrelevant variation, has increased in popularity so quickly.

Omaha Hi-Lo begins like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to every player. A round of wagering follows where players can wager, check, or drop out. Three cards are handed out, this is called the flop. One more sequence of wagering happens. Once all the players have either called or dropped out, a further card is revealed on the turn. Another round of wagering happens and then the river card is flipped. The entrants will have to make the best high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.

This is where some entrants often get baffled. Contrasted to Hold’em, in which the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player must utilize exactly three cards from the board, and exactly two hole cards. Not a single card 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 what it sounds like. It’s the best hand out of every player’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the identical approach in almost every poker game.

The lower hand is more difficult, but really free’s up the action. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that can be made, with the lowest being A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there is no low hand available, the higher hand takes the entire pot.

While it seems difficult at the outset, after a few rounds you will be able to pick up on the fundamental 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 in play, Omaha High-Low offers an exciting assortment of betting possibilities and because you have many individuals shooting for the high, and a few battling for the low. If you enjoy a game with a lot of outs and actions, it is worth your time to compete in Omaha 8 or better.