Omaha poker is an exciting game derived from Texas Holdem. Each player is dealt four cards ("hole cards") which belong only to that poker player. Five community cards are dealt face-up on the "board". All players use three of the five community cards together with two of their hole cards to make the best five-card poker hand. Follow this link to view the rankings of Omaha poker hands.
*Limit Omaha Poker - There is a specific betting limit applied in each game and on each round of betting.
*Pot Limit Omaha Poker - A player can bet what is in the pot (ie, $100 into a $100 pot).
*Omaha Hi Lo - This game can be played in Limit, Pot Limit, and No Limit formats.
Below is an explanation on how to play limit Omaha. The rules for pot limit Omaha are the same as limit Omaha, with the exception of the different bettting structures between them.
In Omaha poker, a disc also known as "the button", serves to indicate which player is the nominal dealer for the current game. Before the game begins, the player immediately clockwise the button posts the "small blind", typically half a small bet (for example, $1 in a $2/$4 Omaha game). The player immediately clockwise the small blind posts the "big blind", which is always a full small bet ($2 in a $2/$4 Omaha game). Now, each player receives his or her four hole cards. Betting action proceeds around the table, starting with the player immediately clockwise the big blind.
Now, the "flop" is dealt face-up on the board. The flop is the first three community cards available to all active players. Play begins with the active player immediately clockwise the button. All bets and raises occur in small bets (increments of $2 in a $2/$4 game).
When betting action is completed for the flop round, the "turn" is dealt face-up on the board. The turn is the fourth community card in an Omaha game. Play begins with the active player immediately clockwise the button. On this round of Omaha, betting doubles from the small bet to the big bet. In a $2/$4 game, betting on the turn is done in $4 increments.
If there is more than one remaining player when the final betting round is complete, the last bettor or raiser shows his or her cards. If there was no bet on the final round, the player immediately clockwise the button shows his or her cards. The player with the best five-card hand wins the pot. In Omaha poker, players must use two and only two of their four hole poker cards in combination with three of the cards from the board. In the event of identical hands, the pot will be equally divided between the players with the best hands.
After the pot is awarded, a new Omaha poker game is ready to be played. The button now moves clockwise to the next online player.
Each player in an Omaha Hi Lo game is dealt four cards ("hole cards") that belong only to that player. Five community cards are dealt face-up on the "board". All players use two cards from their four hole cards in conjunction with three cards from the board to make the best five-card poker hand possible. The pot is divided between the best hand for high and the best hand for low - hence the name, Omaha Hi Lo. Visit the poker hands page to view the rankings of hands in Omaha Hi Lo.
Omaha Hi Lo is played with an "8 or better" qualifier, which means that a hand must be at worst an 8 for low to be eligible to win the low portion of the pot. Low hands in Omaha HiLo are determined in exactly the same way they're determined in 7 Card Stud Hi Lo.
We wish you the best of luck at the tables!
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