Omaha Poker is one of those online poker games that everyone loves to hate, especially if they attempt to play it without any prior experience or decent knowledge of how different Omaha Poker is from Texas Hold'em. For those who come a little more prepared, Omaha Poker often becomes a new favorite poker game.
The common misconception in Omaha Poker is that the same hand that would normally win a Texas Hold'em game can win an Omaha Poker game. But because players have 4 Hole Cards to work with, the winning hand is more often a Straight, Flush or even Full House. These hands are much less common in Texas Hold'em, where pocket Aces alone is often enough to take down a pot.
With this in mind, please continue reading to learn how to play Omaha Poker.
Omaha Poker – General Rules
Omaha Poker is played in much the same way as Texas Hold'em, with a few distinct exceptions.
-Players are dealt 4 Hole Cards, not just 2.
-Players must use exactly 2 Hole Cards and 3 Community Cards to develop a final hand.
The object of the game remains the same. Each player strives to develop the strongest ranking 5-card poker hand. In the end, the player with the highest ranking hand wins. Should everyone fold before the showdown, the last remaining player takes the pot.
Omaha Poker – Game Play Explanation
We'll now walk you through the basic game play of a single hand of Omaha Poker, giving you a better idea of how Omaha Poker is played.
Blind Bets
The player left of the dealer places the Small Blind bet, while the player left of the Small Blind places the Big Blind.
The Deal
Each player, starting with the Small Blind bettor, is dealt 4 Hole Cards.
First Round of Betting
The player left of the Big Blind is the first to act, since the Blind bettors have already placed forced wagers. Betting goes clockwise around the table until all have acted (call, raise or fold).
The Flop
3 Cards are dealt face up in the middle of the table, called the Turn.
Second Round of Betting
All betting rounds now begin with the player left of the dealer.
The Turn
A fourth Community Card is placed face up on the table.
Third Round of Betting
Another round of betting takes place.
The River
The fifth and final Community Card is dealt face up.
Fourth Round of Betting
The final betting round occurs.
Showdown
Assuming there are two or more players still active in the hand (i.e. everyone hasn't folded by now), a showdown must take place. All remaining players reveal their best 5-card poker hand, combining exactly 2 Hole Cards and 3 Community Cards. The highest ranking poker hand wins the entire pot.
In Case of a Tie…
An exact tie is very rare in Omaha Poker, since each player is required to use 2 Hole Cards. But in the event that a perfect tie does occur, the winning players will split the pot evenly between them.
