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 difficult but favored poker variations. It’s a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for play from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once invisible game, has expanded in popularity so amazingly.

Omaha/8 starts like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to each player. A sequence of wagering follows where players can wager, check, or drop out. 3 cards are handed out, this is known as the flop. Another sequence of wagering ensues. After all the gamblers have in turn called or folded, an additional card is flipped on the turn. an additional sequence of betting happens at which point the river card is revealed. The entrants will have to make the strongest high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.

This is where a number of players often get confused. Unlike Hold’em, where the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player must use precisely 3 cards from the board, and exactly two cards from their hand. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot could be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower 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. It’s the very same approach in almost all poker games.

The lower hand is more complex, but really free’s up the play. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the worst hand that might be put together, with the lowest being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and smaller. The low hand takes half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there’s no low hand presented, the higher hand takes the entire pot.

It may seem complex initially, after a couple of rounds you will be able to pick up on the basic subtleties of play easily enough. Seeing as you have people wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and since such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha 8 or better offers an exciting assortment of betting possibilities and seeing that you have numerous individuals shooting for the high, and many battling for the low hand. If you enjoy a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it is worth your time to compete in Omaha 8 or better.