Omaha Strategies

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Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is often times viewed as one of the most complicated but popular poker games. It is a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites action from all levels of players. This is the main reason why a once invisible variation, has increased in popularity so quickly.

Omaha 8 or better begins like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to every player. A sequence of betting ensues in which players can wager, check, or fold. Three cards are given out, this is referred to as the flop. Another sequence of betting ensues. After all the gamblers have either called or dropped out, a further card is revealed on the turn. a further round of betting follows and then the river card is flipped. The gamblers will need to make the best high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.

This is the point where many entrants often get confused. Unlike Hold’em, in which the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi lo the player has to utilize exactly 3 cards on the board, and exactly two cards from their hand. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot might be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."

A high hand is just how it sounds. It is the strongest hand out of every player’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the same concept in nearly all poker games.

The lower hand is more complicated, but really free’s up the action. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the weakest hand that might be put together, with the worst being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and smaller. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there is no lower hand available, the high hand wins the whole pot.

It may seem difficult at first, following a couple of rounds you will be able to pick up on the basic subtleties of play easily enough. Seeing as you have individuals betting for the low and wagering for the high, and since so many cards are being used at once, Omaha 8 or better offers an exciting assortment of betting choices and seeing that you have numerous players battling for the high hand, as well as a few battling for the low. If you enjoy a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha/8.