How to Play Omaha Hi Poker

It shouldn't surprise anyone, what with the extreme saturation Texas Hold'em gets on television, that relatively few people are familiar with Omaha Poker. When people learn a bit about the game and see that there is a flop, a turn, and a river, all like in Texas Hold'em, they think that Omaha is just a variation of Hold'em. Finally, many are lured to Omaha because of the four hole cards, thinking that it will be easy to make hands.

The truth is that Omaha is much different than Hold'em in its play and in its strategy.

There are two variations of Omaha poker: High only and High-Low. Here we will speak more generally so we will be talking about High only.

Most Omaha games are limit bet games. You can get into relatively low limit games, which is always a good idea until you feel ready to challenge the bigger bettors. The bigger bettors go for either higher limits or pot limit games. Pot limit means that the highest permitted bid is the size of the pot at that time. Newer Omaha players are well advised to steer clear of pot limit games for a very long time!

Each player is dealt four hole cards. After the first round of betting there is a three-card flop, another betting round, a one-card turn, betting, and, finally, a one-card river followed by the last round of betting.

Each player thus has 9 cards to use to make his best hand but: players must use two, and only two, hole cards and three, and only three, community cards to make his hand. If you're dealt four aces you actually have only a pair of aces that you will not be able to improve on.

Many players go astray as they see their hole cards or they see the community cards and envision hands that are not allowed under the basic rules.

The "button" goes around after each hand. This is the "dealer" for purposes of the blinds.

• The player to the left of the dealer is the little blind and to his left is the big blind. The little blind bet is usually one-half or one-third of the minimum bet and the big blind is equal to the minimum bet.
  
  
• Each player receives four down cards. These are usually called hole or pocket cards.
  
  
• The player to the left of the big blind must respond now to the big blind bet. Remember: blinds are forced bets not antes. All players must at least call the big blind. Raises are permitted, of course.
  
  
• After the first betting round, the flop is laid out on the "board". The flop consists of three cards.
  
  
• The next betting round begins with the little blind, who can check or bet.
  
  
• The turn card is dealt on the board.
  
  
• The little blind begins this round of betting.
  
  
• The river card is revealed.
  
  
• The little blind begins the betting.
  
  
• When the last round of betting is over, the remaining players reveal their hands.
  
  
• It is not unusual for beginning players in Omaha to misread their hand. All players must use exactly two hole cards and three community cards.

• There are two blinds. They sit to the left of the dealer. Their bets are forced, so in the first round all players must, minimally call the big blind.
  
  
• Even on the first round, before the flop, raising is allowed.
  
  
• All betting after the flop begins with the small blind. In these rounds the small blind and, theoretically, everyone can check as there are no forced bets to match.
  
  
• Some games have a spread limit. This means that there is a betting range. No bet can be less than the minimum, except the small blind, and no bet can exceed the maximum.
  
  
• Some games have a fixed limit. This usually means that in the first two rounds, all bets and raises are fixed at a lower limit and in later rounds all bets and raises are fixed at the higher limit.
  
  
• Some games are pot limit, meaning the highest bet allowed is equal to the pot.
  
  
• No-limit games mean exactly that.

• You are looking for a high hand only - watch out for low cards
• Straights and flushes are common since there are five community cards to choose from