Omaha Strategies

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Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times seen as one of the most difficult but favored poker variations. It’s a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites action from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once irrelevant variation, has increased in popularity so amazingly.

Omaha hi-low begins just like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to every player. A round of betting follows in which gamblers can wager, check, or fold. Three cards are handed out, this is referred to as the flop. Another round 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 happens at which point the river card is flipped. The players will need to make the strongest high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.

This is where many entrants get baffled. Unlike Texas Hold ‘Em, where the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player has to use precisely three cards on the board, and precisely two cards from their hand. No more, no less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot might be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."

A high hand is just what it sounds like. It is the strongest possible hand out of every player’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house. It is the very same concept in nearly every poker game.

The lower hand is more complex, but certainly free’s up the play. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the worst hand that might be made, with the lowest being A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The lower 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 low hand available, the higher hand takes the entire pot.

It may seem difficult at the outset, after a few hands you will be able to pick up on the basic nuances of play with ease. Since you have people wagering for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are being used at the same time, Omaha/8 provides an amazing array of wagering options and because you have numerous individuals shooting for the high, along with many shooting 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 or better.