How to play Omaha - strategy and tips

Omaha strategy

Omaha is a community card game, similar in style to hold'em, but with markedly different strategy.

How to play
Each player receives four cards on the initial deal as opposed to two cards in hold'em. Otherwise, with a flop, turn and river along with four rounds of betting, Omaha is almost identical to hold'em. However, to make a five card poker hand you can only use two of your four pocket/hole cards with three of the five community cards.

Strategy and tips
It is easier to make very big hands and just as easy for them to be beaten. Therefore, strong bets with made hands is the advice, and simple calling is often best with drawing hands.

Omaha Hi-Lo
A popular version of Omaha. The highest and lowest hand get half of the pot each. The low hand must contain an eight or lower and no pairs. You can use different cards for the two hands and it is possible to win the high and the low pot. If there
is no qualifying low hand, the high hand wins the whole pot.

Strategy and tips
The lowest high card wins, and if two or more players have the same high card, then the next lowest high card wins. The five examples below demonstrate how this principle works:

Player 1: 8, 6, 4, 2, A
Player 2 : 7, 6, 4, 3, 2
Player 2 wins, as 7 is lowest high card

Player 1 : 8, 6, 4, 2, A
Player 2 : 8, 7, 4, 3, A
Player 1 wins, as 6 is next lowest high card

Player 1 : 8, 6, 4, 2, A
Player 2 : 8, 6, 3, 2, A
Player 2 wins, as 3 is winning high card

Player 1 : 8, 7, 6, 4, 2
Player 2 : 8, 7, 6, 5, A
Player 1 wins, as 4 is winning high card

Player 1 : 8, 6, 5, 4, 2
Player 2 : 8, 6, 5, 4, A
Player 2 wins, as Ace is winning high card

Remember
If there are not three board cards that are 8 or lower, then there is no low hand in play and you are playing for all of the high pot. Omaha Hi-Lo takes a lot of skill, so practice aplenty for low stakes when learning the discipline.

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