Omaha poker is becoming almost as popular as Texas Holdem in casino poker rooms, online poker sites, and live poker tournaments. Omaha poker rules are similar to Texas Holdem rules. In both kinds of poker, the dealer gives out "community" cards, which all of the players can use.
But Omaha poker and Texas Holdem poker are two different games that need different strategies. You can play Omaha poker with a fixed limit, no limit, or the pot limit. Omaha poker can also be played as a high game or a high low split game. You can learn about the rules for both Omaha high and Omaha high low here.
Omaha High Rules
The game starts when the player to the left of the dealer puts up the small blind, which is usually half of the minimum bet. In a 4/8 limit game, for example, the small blind will be $2. The player to the left of the small blind then puts up the big blind, which is the size of the minimum bet, in this case $4.
After the blinds are posted, the dealer gives each player four face-down cards, starting with the small blind and going clockwise. The player to the left of the big blind starts the first round of betting. This player can call, raise, or fold. If he calls, he must place a bet equal to the minimum bet. If he raises, he must place a bet that is twice the size of the minimum bet. If he folds, he loses his hand.
The first round of betting goes on until the player who put up the small blind is at the table. If he calls, he can only put up half of the minimum bet, which, along with the small blind, makes up the minimum bet. After that, it's the big blind's turn to bet. He or she can either raise or check.
After the first round of betting, the dealer puts three cards in the middle of the table with their faces up. These are called "community cards," and this part of the game is called "the flop." After the flop, the player to the dealer's left makes the first bet of the second round. The smallest bet stays at $4.
When the second round of betting is over, the dealer puts a fourth community card in the middle of the casino table. This is called the turn. Then the next round of betting starts, and the minimum bet goes up to $8. The player to the dealer's left makes the first bet in this round. After this round of betting, the dealer will put the last community card, called the "river," in the middle of the table. After the river, the last round of betting starts, with a minimum bet of $8.
The showdown is when all the players who are still in the game show their hands after the last round of betting. Each player must use two of his own four cards and three of the community cards to make the best five-card hand possible. In an Omaha high game, the pot goes to the player whose five-card hand is the best.
How to Play Omaha High Low
Up until the showdown, Omaha high low is played the same way as Omaha high. In Omaha high-low, the pot is split between two winners: the player with the best high hand and the player with the best low hand. If no one has a low hand that meets the requirements, the player with the best hand wins the whole pot.
Omaha high low is also called Omaha 8 or better. It means that the hand can't have any 8s or cards worth more than 8 if it wants to be a low hand. The wheel is the best possible low hand. A, 2, 3, 4, 5. The value of an ace can be high or low, and straights and flushes don't matter.
In Omaha high-low poker, the pot is sometimes split among more than two players. One player can also win the whole pot if they have both a high hand and a low hand in the same five-card poker hand.
