Poker Tips

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Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is often times viewed as one of the most complicated but well-loved poker variations. It’s a game that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites action from all levels of players. This is the chief reason why a once obscure game, has increased in acceptance so rapidly.

Omaha 8 or better begins exactly like a regular game of Omaha. Four cards are given out to every player. A round of wagering follows where players can bet, check, or fold. 3 cards are handed out, this is known as the flop. A further sequence of wagering happens. Once all the players have either called or folded, another card is revealed on the turn. Another round of betting happens and then the river card is revealed. The players will have to put together the strongest high and low 5 card hands based on the board and hole cards.

This is where a number of entrants can get flustered. Unlike Texas Hold ‘Em, where the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player must utilize exactly three cards on the board, and exactly two hole cards. No more, no less. Contrary to regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot can be won: the "high hand" or the "low hand."

A high hand is just what it sounds like. It is the best hand out of everyone’s, it doesn’t matter if it is a straight, flush, full house. It is the same approach in nearly all poker games.

The low hand is more difficult, but certainly opens up the play. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. the lowest hand is the worst hand that can be put together, with the lowest value being A-2-3-4-5. Since straights and flushes don’t count, A-2-3-4-5 is the worst possible hand. The low hand is any 5 card hand (unpaired) with an eight and below. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as just like the higher hand. When there’s no low hand presented, the higher hand takes the whole pot.

It may seem complex at first, following a couple of hands you will be agile enough to get the base nuances of the game with ease. Seeing as you have players wagering for the low and betting for the high, and seeing as so many cards are in play, Omaha/8 provides an overwhelming array of wagering possibilities and seeing that you have numerous players trying for the high hand, along with several shooting for the low. If you love a game with all kinds of outs and actions, it is worth your time to compete in Omaha/8.