Taking the whole pot!

Want to improve your Omaha 8 or Better game? Our in-depth poker strategy for this variation covers the important aspects, including taking the whole pot and how to play low.

Omaha 8 or Better (or Omaha High low) is one of the most difficult poker variations to master, and there is a heap of poker strategy out there for you to use. In this article, we will overview what our in-house professionals believe to be the most important aspects of Omaha 8 or Better; how to win the whole pot as opposed to just half, and how to play the low end of the game.

How to play the low in Omaha 8 or Better
The objective in Omaha 8 or Better, other than getting the highest hand possible, is also getting the lowest (or worst) hand possible, whereby straights and flushed do not count. Even though A, 2, 3, 4, 5 is the best low hand possible, there do arise some tricky situations. One of the biggest traps to watch out for is getting a pair when you’re holding a possible low hand. The way to avoid this is by keeping two different outs for low hands so that you can be prepared for the Turn and River. As such, it is wise poker strategy to bet higher when you have multiple ways of keeping your low hand.

Taking the whole Omaha 8 or Better pot
Many players forget that in Omaha 8 or Better, there is always a high winner but not always a low. The pot is split with the best qualifier of the low hand, for which he/she must have 5 denominations below 8. In order to qualify for both high and low, players should always make sure that they play two of their cards for each direction. For example, Aces can be played as both, and because straights and flushed don’t apply, a hand such as A, 2, 3, 4, 5, can be both a high straight and an unbeatable low hand. Just remember that if by the river your hand is only ‘OK’ for both ways, pick an end to play on so that players playing only one end and not both will not beat you.

Possible Starting Hands
• Double suited AA23 – the best hand!
• Trip Aces and 2 or 3
• A2 and anything
• A3 and any 2 low cards
• Trip Aces and 4 or 5 suited
• Trip deuces and A suited
• 2 Aces and 2 suited high cards
• A double suited to anything
• 4 unpaired low cards