Omaha poker

Omaha is a community card game, in a similar way to Texas Holdem. However, the game itself is markedly different, with particular nuances.

Generally (though Omaha will vary slightly from poker room to poker room), you will be dealt 4 hole cards, unlike the 2 in Texas Holdem. As in Holdem, there will be a maximum of 5 community cards dealt. You MUST use only 3 community cards and 2 of your original 4 hole cards to make a five-card poker hand. The well-known terminology to help you remember is, ‘Two from the pocket and three from the board’. From here on in the method of play is very similar to Texas Holdem.

Dealer movement (clockwise) and the blind positions are mirror Holdem. In a $2/$4 game, the small blind is $1 and big blind is $2. Four cards are dealt face down to each player and a round of betting takes place before any flop cards are dealt. Betting rounds consist of a bet and 3 raises maximum. The highest hand of 3 from the flop and 2 from the 4 original hole cards wins.

Strategy and tips
Very similar to Texas Holdem, with the biggest thing to remember is that you MUST use two cards from the 4 hole cards – no more, no less… it HAS to be 2. So, two pairs on the flop counts as one pair, as you cannot use 4 cards. Keep this in mind when looking for Full Houses. One other thing to keep at the forefront of your brain is that as there are more options with the 4 hole cards, so straights and flushes are far more common than in Texas Holdem.

Enjoy learning!