Poker articles

Omaha Poker Rules

When you learn Omaha poker rules, you need to find out about the different stages of the game, and how to play on each one of them.

The object of Omaha poker, according to the official Omaha poker rules, is to reach the best five card hand on the table. This is a goal that is similar to other poker games. To make your best hand, you choose two of four of your pocket cards, and three of the five cards on the table.

For limit poker games, Omaha poker rules have specific bets that can be made by the players. If, for example, it is an Omaha $2-$4 limit game, it means the Omaha poker rules force you to place bets in the sum of $2 and $4 increments, depending on the type of bet and the stage of the game. The small blind places a $2 bet in this example, and the big blind $4.

Before any cards are dealt in Omaha poker, two initial bets are made by the small blind and the big blind.

The big and small blinds are the players that put the initial wager in the pot. The big blind places a wager that is double what the small blind put in. The player that play the blinds are different for every game, so don't worry if you're stuck as the blind in one of them. The blinds in Omaha poker rules have the same function of blinds in Texas Hold'em poker rules.

Every player is first dealt four cards face down, cards that are named pocket cards. Make sure none of the other players get to see any of your pocket cards. The first move is made by the player left of the big blind, and the game's rotation moves clockwise.

Omaha poker rules allow players to either:

  • Call - Put in the pot the sum that was wagered before.
  • Check - Stay in the game and not place any more money in if no bets were previously made.
  • Raise - Increase the bet by at least as much as the previous bet.
  • Fold - Lose what is in the pot already, and drop out of the hand.

When the turn reaches the small blind, he can add the difference between his bet and the big blind bet, and thus stay in the game.

In the $2-$4 limit Omaha example, players can raise, during this first round of betting, in $2 increments, and up to 3 raises can be made for this betting round.

The Flop

After everyone had the chance to bet, three cards are dealt, face up, on the table. these are called the flop, and are used by all the players on the table. After the deal another round of betting occurs. This betting round, Omaha poker rules set the betting increments at $2, as in the previous round.

The turn

After the second betting round, the dealer deals the forth community card, face up. A third betting round occurs. Now the betting limit for the $2-$4 game is $4.

The river

The fifth and final card is now dealt face up. There is another round of betting, that follows the same Omaha poker rules as the turn betting round.

The Showdown

This is the final part of the game, where players, that are still in the game, show their hands. They choose 2 of their 4 pocket cards and 3 of the 5 community cards to construct their hand.

In high Omaha poker rules, only the top hand wins.

In high-low Omaha poker rules, the top and the bottom hands split the pot between them. If there is no player with a qualified low hand, the pot is given entirely to the high hand.

Publisher: Carry Williams,