Omaha Poker
Omaha High
Gameplay in most Omaha variations is very similar to Texas Hold’em with a couple distinct differences. The betting rules stay the same, there are four rounds of betting - the preflop, flop, turn, and river – with five community cards being dealt face-up accordingly. However, in Omaha games, players are dealt anywhere from four to seven cards and, regardless of how many hole cards a player has, they must play EXACTLY TWO of their Hole Cards and EXACTLY THREE of the community cards to make the best five-card poker hand. No more, and no less.
Omaha may be played in Limit, No Limit, and Pot Limit betting formats, as determined by the tournament structure.
The Blinds / Antes:
Omaha High is normally played as a “Button-Game” with standard rules for blinds. Depending on the structure of the event, an individual player (Big Blind) or all players may be required to post an ‘ante’ (another type of forced bet) to be posted into the pot before cards are dealt.
Pre-Flop:
After the blinds have been posted, each player receives his or her four (or more) hole cards. Betting action proceeds clockwise around the table, starting with the player ‘Under the Gun’ – that is, the player immediately clockwise from the big blind and continues on each betting round until all active players (who have not folded) have placed equal bets in the pot.
The Flop:
Three cards are dealt face-up on the board. This is known as ‘the flop’. Betting on the flop begins with the first active player immediately clockwise from the button. The betting options are similar to pre-flop, however if nobody has previously bet, players may opt to check, passing the action to the next active player clockwise. In Fixed Limit Omaha, all bets and raises on the flop occur in increments of the small bet (for example, the initial bet would be 200 in a 200/400 game). Betting continues until all active players (who have not folded) have placed equal bets in the pot (this includes all active players checking).
The Turn:
The ‘Turn’ is the fourth card community card dealt face-up on the board. Play begins with the active player immediately clockwise from the button. Another round of betting ensues. In Fixed Limit Omaha, bets and raises on the turn are in increments of the big bet (for example, the initial bet would be 400 in a 200/400 game). Betting continues until all active players (who have not folded) have placed equal bets in the pot (this includes all active players checking).
The River:
The ‘river’ is the fifth and final community card dealt face-up on the board. Betting again begins with the first active player immediately clockwise from the button, and the same betting rules apply as they do for the flop and turn, as explained above.
The Showdown:
If there is more than one remaining player when the final betting round is complete, the last person to bet or raise shows their cards. If no player bet on the River, the player immediately clockwise from the button shows their cards first. The player with the best five-card hand wins the pot. Remember: in Omaha, players must use two and only two of their hole cards in combination with exactly three of the cards from the board. In the event of identical winning hands, the pot will be equally divided between the players with the best hands.
*In the event of an odd chip during the split, it is awarded to the first active player immediately clockwise from the button – the player in the worst position.
After the pot is awarded, a new hand is ready to be played. The button moves clockwise to the next player, blinds and antes are once again posted, and the new hand begins.
Now that you know how Omaha High is played, check out the links of different variations of Omaha games below!