The games of Omaha 8 and Omaha High-Low are interchangeable and both are on the weird side because the high hand winner and low hand winner split the pot. Should the same player be so fortunate as to hold both, he gets 100% of the pot all to himself. This combination of high and low hands in one player is the rule that makes for singular strategies as the players vie to optimize their betting odds. With a lone betting structure, it is not unusual for a player to be going after the highest or lowest hand or both right in step with their opponents. As is any poker variant, the nuts (best hand) gets the pot.

If you are a novice to Omaha 8, you should spend some time watching the game to see how it is played and get an idea of its complicated plays and betting strategies. In Omaha the betting is a circuitous interplay of aggression, bluff and value betting. You must have a thoroughgoing understanding of how the winners are decided upon and how the dual pot situation affects the mixed strategies. Undoubtedly your best bet at learning and understanding Omaha 8 is to get a solid grasp of the rules and learn your strategies from observing and joining in some beginner games. Once you are comfortable with the beginning games, keep moving up the scale until you master the strategy of the expert games. Before you join in one of those expert level games though, remember that expert level games will be playing pot limit with a majestic pot and can be highlighted by multiple raises. Do not go into one of these games without the proper funding to cover yourself.

Mechanics of Omaha 8 Play

The highest hand in Omaha 8 is arranged similarly to the regular hands in Holdem and Omaha, but the lowest hand is not as it uses different criteria to qualify as a low hand. The qualifying low hand will have these conditions:

The very name of Omaha 8 means that the low hand demands a player to play a card at or under the value of 8. And because the rules state that the players must play both of their hole cards, there must be in their hand two cards under this value to meet the criteria for the low hand.

In the event of no hands meeting such conditions for the low pot, the highest hand rakes in the entire pot similar to the normal Omaha rules. The Ace, which is low and the eight are the sole cards vying for the winning hand in Omaha 8. For the high hands, all cards qualify and a player can form his triumphant hand with a mix of high and low hands.

Omaha 8 will usually follow pot limit rules but limit and no limit games are also played depending on the rules of the house you are in. Another usual feature of Omaha 8 is the split pots between the highest and lowest hands, which means the players must establish a high level of comprehension of potentially winning hands to lead them to their ultimate betting strategy.

It should always be in your mind as a player that a hand of three or four of a kind renders it almost impossible to win either end of the pot due to the two hole card rule, which leaves the player holding a pair at best. The epitome of a winning hand will consist of ace-two suited as this duo can produce several different high hand combinations while also being the one lowest ranked low pot taker. The ultimate low hand is called a wheel and includes A-2-3-4-5. At the top of hand supremacy is the Royal flush put together with three community cards.

Author Bio: For more information on how to play Omaha 8 Poker or for other poker rules, please visit Rakeback Solution.

Category: Recreation
Keywords: omaha 8, omaha eight, eight or better, omaha hi lo, poker, gambling, games