Omaha Secrets

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Omaha Hi-Lo (also known as Omaha/8 or better) is frequently seen as one of the most complex but well-loved poker variations. It’s a variation that, even more than regular Omaha poker, invites play from all levels of players. This is the chief reason why a once irrelevant game, has grown in popularity so amazingly.

Omaha/8 starts exactly like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are given out to every player. A round of betting follows in which players can wager, check, or fold. 3 cards are dealt out, this is known as the flop. One more round of betting ensues. Once all the players have either called or dropped out, an additional card is revealed on the turn. Another round of wagering follows at which point the river card is revealed. The players will need to make the strongest high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.

This is where many players can get confused. Contrasted to Texas Hold ‘Em, where the board can make up everyone’s hand, in Omaha hi low the player has to utilize precisely three cards from the board, and exactly two hole cards. No more, no less. Unlike regular Omaha, there are two ways a pot could be won: the "higher hand" or the "lower hand."

A high hand is exactly how it sounds. It is the strongest possible hand out of every player’s, whether that is a straight, flush, full house, etc. It’s the same concept in nearly every poker game.

A low hand is more difficult, but certainly opens up the action. When deciding on a low hand, straights and flushes do not count. A low hand is the worst hand that might be put together, with the lowest value being A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as straights and flushes do not count, A-2-3-4-5 is the smallest value hand possible. The low hand is any five card hand (unpaired) with an eight and lower. The lower hand wins half of the pot, as just like the high hand. When there’s no lower hand available, the higher hand takes the whole pot.

It may seem difficult at the start, after a couple of hands you will be able to pick up on the basic subtleties of play with ease. Seeing as you have players betting for the low and betting for the high, and since such a large number of cards are being used at once, Omaha 8 or better offers an exciting assortment of wagering possibilities and seeing that you have numerous players shooting for the high, and a few battling for the low hand. If you enjoy a game with a plethora of outs and actions, it’s worth your time to participate in Omaha/8.