subject: Some Tips For Players Interested In Omaha 8 [print this page] Another name for Omaha High-Low, Omaha 8 is one game where the highest and lowest hand halve the pot and if the owner of the highest and lowest hands are one and the same, the lucky player gets the entire pot. This double combo of high and low winning hands produces some unusual strategies whereby players strive for the optimum betting odds. Due to its single betting format, it is not unusual for players to go for either the highest or lowest hand or both joined by their opponents in this endeavor. The nuts (best hand) gets the gold as in the other poker variants.
If you are a newcomer to Omaha 8, it is a good idea to watch several games due to the complexity of strategy and not unlike other poker forms, betting in this game is a mosaic of aggression, bluffing and value betting. This combination is influenced by the dual pot and demands that the player gain an in-depth comprehension of the elements that go into the winners. The ideal means for beginning the study of Omaha 8 is with the rules. One must study these in detail and retain them.
By the time you get to the really high levels with pot limit games, do not forget that high stakes mean multiple raises and high bets, so don't go into one of these games empty handed. Make sure you are funded sufficiently to cover yourself for a long potentially expensive night at the tables.
The format of play in Omaha 8
Holdem and Omaha standard versions follow the same arrangement as Omaha 8 when it comes to declaring the highest hand. The low hand determining factors though are different The low hand in Omaha 8 must meet the following criteria:
The reason for the name of Omaha 8 is that a low hand demands that a player plays a card of eight or lower as part of that hand. Also, players are required to use both of their hole cards, which means that they must be holding two cards lower than eight to meet the criteria for a low hand.
If no hand meets the criteria for the low pot, the highest hand gets the whole thing which is similar to standard Omaha. The Ace through eight are the sole cards that can lend themselves to the winning low hand. Any card can meet the criteria for the high hand and a player can form hands of mixed high and low hands to own the entire pot.
Omaha 8 generally keeps with the standard pot limit rules, but limit and no limit forms can be found depending on house rules. Split pots at high and low levels are the usual features of Omaha 8 which means a player must have significant comprehension of what makes up a potentially winning hand to get to his best betting strategy.
Of significance is that hands with three or four of a kind render it almost impossible for a player to snatch either pot because of the rule that they must use two hole cards, which leaves them with a pair. The suited Ace-two is the supreme hand in Omaha 8 as any number of high hands can be produced and it is in itself the lowest ranking low pot hand. The player holding the wheel or an A-2-3-4-5 arrangement is the ultimate low hand winner. The highest hand is a Royal flush comprised of three community cards.
