Omaha Strategy

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Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most complex but popular poker games. It is a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for play from every level of players. This is the main reason why a once obscure variation, has increased in popularity so rapidly.

Omaha/8 starts just like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to every player. A round of betting follows where gamblers can wager, check, or fold. 3 cards are handed out, this is known as the flop. One more round of betting ensues. Once all the gamblers have in turn called or dropped out, another card is flipped on the turn. an additional round of wagering ensues at which point the river card is flipped. The gamblers will need to put together the best high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.

This is where a few players get confused. Contrasted to Holdem, where the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi low the player must utilize precisely 3 cards on the board, and exactly two hole cards. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot may be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."

A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It’s the strongest possible hand out of everyone’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the identical concept in almost every poker game.

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

It may seem complex initially, after a few rounds you will be able to pick up on the fundamental nuances of the game easily enough. Since you have players wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are being used at once, Omaha 8 or better offers an amazing assortment of wagering options and seeing that you have several players trying for the high, along with many trying for the low. If you enjoy a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha 8 or better.