How to Play Omaha Poker

Rules of Omaha Poker

The rules of Omaha are very similar to the rules of Texas Holdem - BUT with one key exception: each player gets four hole cards instead of just two.   Nobody knows the exact history of Omaha Poker but the game’s first appearance in a major casino occurred in 1982 at the Golden Nugget Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.  Interestingly, most researchers agree that Omaha Poker did not originate in Omaha, Nebraska - as many people who first learn about the game may assume!

Omaha Setup

Just like in Texas Holdem, each hand of Omaha starts out with two blinds and a dealer. The small blind is located directly to the left of the dealer and the big blind is located to the left of the small blind.

Before the hand begins, the big blind posts a forced ante of a predetermined amount. The small blind then posts an amount equal to half that of the big blind. For example, if you were playing in a $1/$2 game, the small blind would ante up $1 and the big blind would ante up $2.

The Deal

After the blinds have been posted, each player is then dealt four cards face down. Just like in Texas Holdem, these cards are called the “hole cards.”

The person to the left of the big blind begins the first round of betting. He may choose to call, raise or fold. After that, the betting continues clockwise around the table.

The Flop

After the bets have been matched, the dealer then deals three cards face up in the middle of the table. As you have probably guessed, these cards are called the “flop.”

Next there is another round of betting, beginning with the player directly to the left of the dealer. He may check, bet or raise. After he takes his action, the betting continues clockwise around the table until all bets have been matched.

The Turn

The turn card is the next card to be dealt. This one is dealt face up next to the flop.

After the turn is dealt, there is another round of betting that begins with the player to the left of the dealer.

The River

The final community card to be dealt is the river card. This one is dealt face up next to the turn.

After the river card is dealt, there is one last round of betting. Again, this round begins with the player seated to the left of the dealer.

The Showdown

After all the bets have been matched, the players remaining in the hand show their cards. Whoever has the best five card hand using any two of their hole cards and any three of the community cards wins the pot.

After the winner scoops the pot, the dealer position and blinds each move one spot to the left. Finally the cards are collected and shuffled and a new hand may begin.

Note - Omaha differs from Texas Holdem in that you MUST use two of your hole cards when making your hand. Remember in Texas Holdem you could get away with using just one hole card (or even zero) if you needed to. In Omaha this isn’t the case.

This often causes confusion for new players who see four cards of one suit on the board, see one more card of that suit in their hand but then fail to win the pot with a flush. Remember, you have to use two hole cards from your hand and three cards from the board. There are no exceptions.

Where to Play Omaha Poker

While Omaha is a fun game to play at home, just remember it also has a HUGE following on the internet. The game itself is fast-becoming one of the most popular and action-filled games on many top online poker rooms. Sites that have a lot of traffic make it easier for you to find good Omaha games. Two rooms that immediately come to mind are PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker, where stakes for Omaha can start as low as $.01/$.02 and get as high as $2,000/$4,000!