Poker Tips

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

Omaha 8 or better starts exactly like a regular game of Omaha. 4 cards are dealt to every player. A round of wagering ensues where gamblers can bet, check, or fold. Three cards are handed out, this is referred to as the flop. One more round of betting happens. Once all the players have either called or folded, another card is flipped on the turn. an additional round of betting follows and then the river card is flipped. The gamblers will have to make the best high and low 5 card hands using the board and hole cards.

This is where a number of players get flustered. Unlike Texas Hold ‘Em, in which the board can make up every player’s hand, in Omaha hi/low the player has to use exactly three cards on the board, and precisely 2 cards from their hand. Not a single card more, no less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot can be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."

A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It is the strongest possible hand out of every player’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the same concept in almost all poker games.

A low hand is more complicated, but really free’s up the play. When figuring out a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the weakest hand that could be made, with the worst being made up of A-2-3-4-5. Because straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The lower hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. The low hand wins half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there’s no lower hand available, the higher hand wins the whole pot.

It may seem difficult at the start, after a few rounds you will be agile enough to pick up on the fundamental nuances of the game with ease. Since you have individuals wagering for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as such a large number of cards are in play, Omaha/8 provides an exciting array of wagering possibilities and owing to the fact that you have several players shooting for the high, along with many battling for the low hand. If you love a game with a lot of outs and actions, it is not a waste of your time to compete in Omaha/8.