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 popular poker games. It’s a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for action from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once irrelevant game, has expanded in popularity so quickly.

Omaha 8 or better starts exactly like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to every player. A round of betting follows where players can bet, check, or fold. Three cards are dealt out, this is called the flop. One more round of betting ensues. After all the players have either called or dropped out, another card is flipped on the turn. an additional sequence of betting ensues at which point the river card is revealed. The players will have to make the best high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.

This is where a few entrants can get baffled. Unlike Texas Hold ‘Em, where the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player must use precisely three cards on the board, and exactly 2 cards from their hand. No more, no less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot might 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, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the identical concept in just about every poker game.

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

While it seems complex at first, after a couple of rounds you will be able to pick up on the base subtleties of the game with ease. Seeing as you have individuals betting for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are being used at the same time, Omaha hi-low offers an amazing collection of betting possibilities and seeing that you have numerous individuals trying for the high, along with many battling for the low. If you enjoy a game with a lot of outs and actions, it is worth your time to play Omaha hi/lo.