Omaha Strategies

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Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is frequently viewed as one of the most difficult but well-loved poker games. It is a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites play from all levels of players. This is the main reason why a once irrelevant variation, has increased in acceptance so rapidly.

Omaha hi/lo starts exactly like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to every player. A round of betting follows where players can bet, check, or fold. Three cards are given out, this is called the flop. A further sequence of betting ensues. Once all the players have either called or folded, another card is revealed on the turn. an additional sequence of wagering happens and then the river card is revealed. The players will have to make the best high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.

This is where a few entrants can get baffled. Unlike Hold’em, in which the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player has to utilize precisely 3 cards on the board, and exactly two hole cards. No more, no less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot might be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."

A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It is the best hand out of every player’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It is the same concept in just about every poker game.

A low hand is more complicated, but really opens up the action. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the worst hand that might be made, with the worst being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and below. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there is no lower hand presented, the high hand wins the entire pot.

Although it seems complex at the outset, following a couple of hands you will be able to get the fundamental nuances of the game with ease. Seeing as you have players wagering for the low and betting for the high, and since so many cards are in play, Omaha 8 or better provides an exciting range of wagering choices and seeing that you have many players trying for the high hand, as well as several battling for the low. If you like a game with a lot of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha 8 or better.