Laura Thornhill | August 18, 2022 | Updated on: March 4th, 2024
Omaha Poker is a fun poker variant. It’s a game played with four hole cards instead of just two like in Texas Holdem. It’s an exciting game with great opportunities to use strategy to get the best poker hand and win. Our how-to-play guide will show you how to play Omaha poker online for real money, complete with rules easily explained for beginners. Learn how to play Omaha poker and get great tips to improve your strategy. We have also compiled a list of the best real money online poker sites where you can practice Omaha poker for free.
Omaha Poker is an easy poker game that you play with a single 52-card deck. Each player gets four hole cards. Players must make their winning hands with exactly two of their hole cards and three of the community cards. The game follows basic poker rules for everything else, including the small and big blinds and the betting sequence. We will elaborate on some unique Omaha poker betting rules shortly.
How to Play Omaha Poker – 10 Easy Steps
Omaha Poker is played with 2 to 10 players per game. There are prescribed minimum and maximum bets. Before the game begins, each player at the table gets a card face up. The player with the highest card is the dealer.
Cards are handed out clockwise, face down one at a time until each player has four cards each.
After the small and big blinds are posted, the next player begins the pre-flop round of betting, and the last player to play is whoever posts the big blind.
If a raise is made in the pre-flop round when it’s the small and big blind’s turn to play, they must make a bet equal to the sum of the raise minus the blind they posted.
The pre-flop round ends when all players have had a turn to make a play and have bet the same amount in the pot.
After the pre-flop round, the first three community cards (the flop) are handed out.
Each player at the table can take one of four actions – fold, check, call or raise.
The fourth community card, the turn, is added, and another betting round begins.
In turn, each bet is now the size of the bigger bet limit set at the beginning of the game.
A fifth card, the river, is added, and the final round of betting starts.
At the end of the river betting round, there is a showdown amongst the remaining players; the best hand wins the pot.
Omaha Holdem Poker Rules
Aces are high in Omaha.
Cards must be dealt out clockwise, face down and one at a time
When choosing a high card to determine the dealer and two or more players have the same rank card, the suit will determine the dealer.
Suits hierarchy from highest to lowest is Spades, Hearts, Diamonds, Clubs.
The players to the dealer’s left post the small and big blinds.
The big blind is double the small blind.
To make the final hand, players must use exactly two of their hole cards and three from the community cards to make their winning hand.
You can win Omaha Poker if every other player folds and you are the remaining player left in the game or if you have the best hand at the showdown. Having the best hand is not the only way to win. However, we will detail what the Omaha poker winning hands are below.
Remember winning hands in Omaha Poker are made with two of your hole cards and three community cards.
Types of Omaha Poker Games
The most popular variation of Omaha Poker is Pot Limit and Omaha Hi-Lo. There are other low-risk versions of Omaha Poker, like Fixed Limit.
Pot Limit Omaha – The maximum bet in Pot Limit is the sum of all the chips in the pot. Players must proceed with caution as the game continues because bets become larger.
Hi-Lo – In Omaha Hi-Low, the lowest and highest hand wins the pot
Fixed Limit – In this Omaha version, there is a limit on bet sizes and how many times the pot can be raised. The amount a bet is raised must be equal to the blinds, and the pot can only be raised four times max.
Playing Omaha Poker Online
Playing Omaha Poker Online is simple and easier because you don’t have to know the betting sequences as everything is prompted and automated.
Omaha Poker FAQs
How do you play Omaha poker?
You play Omaha poker with a 52-card deck, and each player gets four hole cards and must make a winning hand using two of their hole cards and three community cards.
What is the difference between Omaha and Holdem?
The difference between Omaha Poker and Texas Holdem Poker is the number of hole cards. Texas Holdem is played with two hole cards and Omaha with four. In Omaha poker, the winning hand must be made with exactly two of the hole cards, and in Texas Holdem, you can use one, two or none of the hole cards.
Can you use 3 hole cards in Omaha?
No, you can only use two of the hole cards in Omaha Poker.
What is the best starting hand in Omaha Hi-Lo?
The best starting hand in Omaha Hi-Lo is any hand with a pair of Aces, especially in an ace of spades.
Can you use all 4 cards in Omaha?
No, you cannot use all four hole cards in Omaha poker. Only two to form the winning hand.
Is a straight better than a flush in Omaha Poker?
A straight high hand is better than a low hand flush in Omaha Poker.
What is a good hand in Omaha poker?
A good hand in Omaha Poker has pairs of high cards and cards in sequence that can form a straight hand.
