Poker Secrets

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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 games. It is a game that, even more than normal Omaha poker, aims for action from every level of players. This is the chief reason why a once obscure variation, has grown in acceptance so amazingly.

Omaha/8 starts just like a normal game of Omaha. Four cards are dealt to every player. A round of betting ensues in which players can bet, check, or drop out. 3 cards are dealt out, this is known as the flop. A further round of wagering happens. Once all the gamblers have in turn called or dropped out, an additional card is flipped on the turn. Another round of betting ensues and then the river card is revealed. The players must attempt to put together the strongest high and low five card hands based on the board and hole cards.

This is the point where a number of entrants can get flustered. Unlike Texas Holdem, where the board can be every player’s hand, in Omaha hi-low the player must utilize exactly three cards from the board, and exactly two cards from their hand. Not a single card more, no less. Contrary to normal Omaha, there are 2 ways a pot may be won: the "higher hand" or the "low hand."

A high hand is just what it sounds like. It is the strongest hand out of everyone’s, regardless if it is a straight, flush, full house. It’s the very same concept in almost all poker games.

The lower hand is more complex, but really free’s up the action. When determining a low hand, straights and flushes don’t count. A low hand is the weakest hand that could be put together, with the worst being A-2-3-4-5. Seeing as 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 lower. The lower hand takes half of the pot, as does the high hand. When there is no low hand presented, the higher hand wins the entire pot.

It may seem difficult at the start, following a few hands you will be able to pick up on the basic nuances of play with ease. Seeing as you have individuals betting for the low and wagering for the high, and seeing as so many cards are in play, Omaha/8 provides an overwhelming assortment of betting choices and seeing that you have several players battling for the high, and many battling for the low. If you prefer a game with a lot of outs and actions, it is worth your time to play Omaha High-Low.