Omaha Strategy

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Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times viewed as one of the most difficult but popular poker games. It’s a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for action from all levels of players. This is the chief reason why a once irrelevant game, has expanded in acceptance so rapidly.

Omaha hi-low begins like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are given out to every player. A round of betting follows in which players can bet, check, or drop out. Three cards are dealt out, this is referred to as the flop. Another round of wagering happens. Once all the gamblers have either called or folded, an additional card is revealed on the turn. a further sequence of wagering ensues and then the river card is revealed. The entrants must attempt to make the best high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.

This is where many entrants often get confused. Unlike Holdem, where the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi low the player has to use precisely three cards on the board, and exactly 2 cards from their hand. Not a single card more, no less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot might be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."

A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It is the strongest possible hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the same notion in just about every poker game.

The lower hand is more complex, but really free’s up the play. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that can be put together, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and lower. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there’s no low hand presented, the high hand takes the entire pot.

While it seems difficult initially, following a few hands you will be able to get the basic subtleties of the game with ease. Since you have individuals betting for the low and betting for the high, and since so many cards are being used at the same time, Omaha/8 offers an amazing collection of wagering options and because you have several players trying for the high, and a few shooting for the low. If you enjoy a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to play Omaha/8.