Introduction to Omaha

Introduction to Omaha

If you like Texas holdem, you just may love Omaha. Omaha adds a new dimension to community card poker gamesby providing two extra cards to each player, which increases the possibilities exponentially.

The game is heavy in action and a skilled player can make a tidy profit playing Omaha, but you must not be easily scared.

How Omaha Is Played

Each player receives four cards. There is a small and big blind just as in Texas holdem. Players can decide whether to call, raise or fold starting to the left of the big blind. Also as in Texas holdem, there is a flop, turn and river with betting after each.

However, unlike Texas holdem, players must use exactly two hole cards with three board cards to make the best poker hand.

Pitfalls of Omaha

This “two and three” restriction can be trickier than it sounds. For example, if you hold the ace of spades in your hand but no other spades, you cannot make a spade flush, even if four spades come out on the board. On a board of 9d Qs Ah 3d 4c, if you hold 9h Td Jc Ks, it may appear that you can make a straight. However, you cannot. In fact the only straight that can possibly be made on this board is the A 2 3 4 5, which would be the nut hand, a fact new players may not immediately realize.

Things to Know About Omaha

Because so many cards are in play, you need very strong hands to win in a full ring Omaha game. If there is a flush possible, you will need not only a flush to win, but one of the highest flushes. If the board is paired, it is very likely that a full house will be necessary to win.

In short handed Omaha, this is not equally certain, and you’ll have a lot of very tricky decisions to make. And so will your opponents. That’s the definition of a great poker game!

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