Poker Strategy

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Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is often times viewed as one of the most complex but popular poker variations. It’s a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, invites play from every level of players. This is the main reason why a once irrelevant game, has increased in popularity so quickly.

Omaha 8 or better starts exactly like a normal game of Omaha. 4 cards are handed out to every player. A round of betting ensues in which players can bet, check, or drop out. 3 cards are given out, this is referred to as the flop. One more sequence of betting happens. After all the gamblers have either called or dropped out, an additional card is revealed on the turn. a further round of wagering follows at which point the river card is flipped. The players will need to make the strongest high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.

This is where some players can get baffled. Unlike Texas Hold ‘Em, where the board can be everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi/lo the player has to utilize exactly three cards on the board, and precisely two hole cards. Not a single card more, not a single card less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are two ways a pot may be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."

A high hand is exactly what it sounds like. It is the strongest hand out of everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the very same concept in just about every poker game.

The low hand is more complex, but really free’s up the action. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the weakest hand that can be put together, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Considering that straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The lower hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an 8 and below. The low hand wins half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there is no low hand available, the high hand takes the entire pot.

While it seems difficult at the start, after a couple of rounds you will be able to get the basic nuances of play easily enough. Seeing as you have individuals wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and since such a large number of cards are being used at once, Omaha/8 provides an overwhelming range of betting options and because you have numerous individuals shooting for the high, and many shooting for the low hand. If you prefer a game with a considerable amount of outs and actions, it’s not a waste of your time to participate in Omaha 8 or better.