Poker Strategies

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Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is frequently viewed as one of the most complex but popular poker variations. It’s a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, aims for play from every level of players. This is the primary reason why a once irrelevant variation, has expanded in popularity so amazingly.

Omaha/8 begins just like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are handed out to each player. A round of wagering follows where gamblers can wager, check, or drop out. 3 cards are given out, this is referred to as the flop. One more round of wagering ensues. After all the gamblers have either called or folded, an additional card is flipped on the turn. an additional sequence of betting happens and then the river card is revealed. The players must attempt to put together the strongest high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.

This is the point where some entrants can get flustered. Unlike Hold’em, in which the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player must use exactly three cards from the board, and exactly two hole cards. No more, not a single card less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot can be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."

A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It is the best possible hand out of every player’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the same notion in nearly all poker games.

A lower hand is more complex, but certainly opens up the play. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the weakest hand that can be put together, with the worst being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest possible hand. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and lower. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as does the higher hand. When there is no lower hand available, the high hand wins the entire pot.

Although it seems complex at first, after a few rounds you will be able to pick up on the fundamental nuances of play simply enough. Seeing as you have players wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and since so many cards are being used at once, Omaha 8 or better offers an amazing array of wagering choices and seeing that you have several individuals battling for the high hand, as well as many battling for the low. If you love a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha/8.