Omaha Strategies

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Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is commonly seen as one of the most difficult but favored poker games. It’s a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites play from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once obscure game, has grown in popularity so rapidly.

Omaha hi-low starts like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are given out to every player. A sequence of betting ensues where players can bet, check, or drop out. 3 cards are dealt out, this is referred to as the flop. Another round of wagering happens. After all the players have in turn called or dropped out, an additional card is revealed on the turn. Another sequence of wagering ensues and then the river card is flipped. The players must attempt to put together the best high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.

This is where a few entrants can get confused. Contrasted to Texas Holdem, in which the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player must use precisely 3 cards on the board, and precisely 2 cards from their hand. No more, no less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot may 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 everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the very same approach in nearly every poker game.

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

It may seem complicated initially, after a few rounds you will be able to get the basic subtleties of the game simply enough. Since you have individuals wagering for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are being used at once, Omaha hi/low offers an exciting range of betting options and seeing that you have many players battling for the high, as well as several shooting for the low. If you like a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it is worth your time to participate in Omaha 8 or better.