Wraps are very important in Omaha high as to deserve further explanation:

If a wrap hand contains a "gap" (a jump in sequence, such as the missing jack between the ten and queen in 9-10-Q-K), it's better that the gap occurs at the lower end of the range rather than the higher. Since any made straight is vulnerable to a higher one (unless it's ace-high), your hand is better if you can keep anyone from drawing out on you by covering the high end of the sequence.

For example, if your wrap hand is 7-9-10-J, the gap between the seven and nine can't hurt you if the flop is 5-6-8, since a nine or ten on the turn or river will simply give you a higher straight. However, if your hand is 5-6-7-9, you can easily lose to an opponent's higher straight later in the hand.

Because of the large number of straights that can be made, wraps are very playable Omaha hands. In fact, when you flop a wrap with twenty 11 Outs," (possible turn or river cards that help your hand by completing the draw), you're an odds-on favorite to make your hand.

In Texas hold'em, the maximum number of cards to complete your straight is eight. In Omaha - since you hold four cards rather than two -you have up to twenty ways to make a straight. If you begin with J-T7-6 and the flop is 9-8-3, you'll make a straight with a queen, jack, ten, seven, six or five. Four of those cards are in your hand, but with two more board cards to be dealt, you'll make a straight more than seventy percent of the time! So happy wrapping!

• Seven-Card Stud Eight-or-Better, High/Low Split
• How Omaha High Differs from Omaha/8