Poker Strategies

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Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times seen as one of the most complex but well-loved poker variations. It’s a variation that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for play from all levels of players. This is the primary reason why a once irrelevant game, has increased in popularity so quickly.

Omaha 8 or better begins like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to each player. A sequence of wagering follows in which players can bet, check, or drop out. Three cards are handed out, this is known as the flop. Another round of betting ensues. Once all the gamblers have either called or dropped out, a further card is flipped on the turn. Another round of wagering ensues and then the river card is revealed. The gamblers will need to make the best high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.

This is where some entrants often get baffled. Unlike Hold’em, where the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi/low the player must use exactly three cards on the board, and precisely two cards from their hand. No more, no less. Unlike normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot could be won: the "high hand" or the "lower hand."

A high hand is just how it sounds. It’s the strongest possible hand out of every player’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house. It is the identical concept in nearly every poker game.

A low hand is more complicated, but certainly free’s up the action. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the weakest hand that might be put together, with the lowest value being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the lowest value hand possible. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and below. The low hand wins half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there’s no low hand available, the higher hand takes the entire pot.

It may seem difficult at the outset, following a few rounds you will be able to get the base nuances of the game with ease. Since you have players wagering for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as so many cards are being used at once, Omaha 8 or better provides an exciting collection of wagering possibilities and because you have numerous individuals battling for the high, and a few shooting for the low. If you love a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to compete in Omaha/8.