Omaha poker is a community card game, which is almost as popular as Texas Hold’em. It also has very similar rules, so you won’t have any problems to learn them in about 10 minutes. Just follow this guide to get complete game instructions and a few useful tips how to win the pot.
Omaha poker rules
As it’s usually happens with community card games, there is a nominal dealer or “Button” in Omaha. The action in every round starts to the left from the dealer. The first thing to do is to make blind bets. They’re “small” blind and “big” blind. The first one depends on buy-in and betting limits. “Big” blind is twice bigger than “small” blind.
Then the cards are dealt. Every player will receive 4 cards, and that’s the first big difference from Texas Hold’em. A Preflop betting round starts next. The action goes clockwise and the gamblers have the following options:
- call;
- raise;
- fold.
It means you can whether match the current bet, make it bigger or leave the game for this particular round. “Big” blind is the last gambler to act at Preflop stage.
After that Flop starts. Three community cards are dealt and a new betting round begins. The player directly to the left from the “Button” is the first one to act. This gambler has two options: check or raise. All the other participants may:
- call;
- check;
- raise;
- fold.
The round ends when all the bets are equal. Next come Turn and River. Each rounds delivers one more community card and a new betting round. If there are at least two players left in the game after that, it’s time to reveal the cards.
In Omaha poker you’re obliged to use any 2 hole cards and 3 community cards in order to receive the best combination. And that’s the second big difference from Texas Hold’em.
The player with the best hand winds the pot. Combinations ranking is the same for all community poker games. The best one is Royal flush, while the weakest one is just a High card.
Omaha poker tips and tricks
Use the following tips to play Omaha poker online and win money:
- Choose tables with buy-ins and bets that suit your budget.
- Manage your bankroll wisely.
- Set stop-loss limits.
- Leave the game round, if it’ll help you not to lose more money.
- Try bluffing when it’s possible.
- Use Omaha poker odds calculator.
It’s also crucial to find a good poker room. It has to offer different game types like Pot-Limit and Fixed-Limit Omaha and have tables with high and low buy-ins. You should choose websites that allows you to play with bonus funds. So, make sure you can get a lucrative no deposit prize and a generous welcome package.