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 popular poker variations. It’s a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites action from every level of players. This is the main reason why a once obscure variation, has expanded in popularity so quickly.

Omaha/8 starts exactly like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are given out to every player. A sequence of wagering follows in which players can bet, check, or drop out. Three cards are dealt out, this is known as the flop. Another round of betting happens. After all the players have in turn called or folded, another card is revealed on the turn. Another round of betting follows and then the river card is flipped. The players will have to make the strongest high and low five card hands using the board and hole cards.

This is the point where a few entrants can get flustered. Unlike Hold’em, where the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha Hi-Lo the player has to utilize precisely 3 cards on the board, and exactly 2 hole cards. No more, not a single card less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot may be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."

A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It’s the best possible hand out of everyone’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house. It is the same notion in just about every poker game.

A lower hand is more complicated, but really opens up the action. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the worst hand that could be made, with the lowest value being A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and lower. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there’s no lower hand presented, the high hand takes the complete pot.

Although it seems difficult at the outset, after a few rounds you will be agile enough to get the fundamental subtleties of play easily enough. Seeing as you have individuals betting for the low and betting for the high, and since such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha/8 provides an exciting collection of betting choices and because you have numerous individuals battling for the high hand, along with many trying for the low hand. If you like a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to participate in Omaha/8.