Omaha Poker, especially in Pot Limit form (PLO), has become incredibly popular in the last few years. In fact, many of today’s best Texas Holdem Poker pros have diverted to playing Omaha Poker.
What’s made the poker variant so highly favored by serious poker players is the same thing that brought Texas Holdem into the limelight so many years ago. If you design a successful strategy for a game that is not widely played, you can easily become the best player at the table.
A few years ago, Omaha Poker was just another extra game on the menu. Texas Holdem received the majority of the attention, and thus there were very few Omaha Poker strategy books to teach new players of the game how to be a winning Omaha player.
As this poker variant climbs the ranks, now the number-2 most popular poker variant in live and online poker rooms, more information has become available. Anyone who is, or wishes to become, a serious poker player has an obligation to learn the basics of Omaha Poker.
Omaha Poker Basics
Omaha Poker is evolved directly from Texas Holdem, and has very few differences aside from the hole cards and hand development.
Every player receives 4 hole cards, not 2. When developing your poker hand, you must combine only 2 of those hole cards with 3 community cards. Unlike Texas Holdem, if the board nut-straights, players do not split the pot. Exactly 2 hole cards and 3 community cards must be used.
Because there are twice as many hole cards to work with, a typical winning Omaha hand is very different from Texas Holdem. Pocket Aces can actually become weak, while high suited connectors take precedence. More often than not, Omaha Poker is won by a Straight, Flush or full House. Even sets lose a lot of value in Omaha Poker.
Omaha Poker – Objective
Omaha Poker is a traditional poker game, using the standard poker hand ranks to determine the winner. The object is to develop the highest ranking poker hand. The strongest hand wins the full pot.
Playing Omaha Poker
The game begins with the placement of Big Blind and Small Blind bets. Every player is dealt a total of 4 hole cards.
Pre-Flop: Once each player has viewed their hole cards, the first round of betting starts with the player left of the Big Blind.
Flop: The first three community cards are dealt face-up in the middle of the table. The second betting round takes place, this time starting with the player left of the dealer button.
Turn: The fourth community card is dealt face-up, followed by another betting round.
River: A final, fifth community cards is dealt face-up, then the last betting round begins.
The Showdown: So long as two or more players remain active in the pot, a showdown will take place. Players who are still active in the hand will use 2 of their own hole cards, combined with any 3 community cards, to develop the strongest possible hand. The highest ranking poker hand wins the pot.
