Omaha Poker Rules

Omaha - sometimes called Omaha High because players are only competing for the best high hand - is a poker game that is similar to Texas Hold’em. If you’re familiar with playing Hold’em, it will take only a few minutes to learn the basic rules of Omaha High. (To learn about the high-low variation of Omaha, check out the Omaha Hi/Lo page.)

The objective of both Texas Hold’em and Omaha is to build the best hand, as shown in the poker hand rankings. Players use their hole cards (which only they can see) combined with community cards (dealt face up in the center of the table and shared with all other players).

The major difference between the two games is that Omaha players are dealt four cards rather than the two they receive in Hold’em. It is also important to understand that Omaha players must use precisely two of their hole cards combined with three community cards to create their best possible poker hand.

For example, if you hold four diamonds in your hand and there is one diamond on the board, you don’t have a flush, because you are limited to playing only two of your hole cards. This basic yet important rule of Omaha is commonly forgotten by novice players, and this mistake can be a costly one.

Omaha Poker Betting

There are generally three Omaha betting formats, and they’re all offered on PokerStars:

• Pot Limit Omaha – In this Omaha game, commonly referred to simply as PLO, betting amounts are limited to the size of the current pot. For example, if the pot was $200, a player can only bet up to $200 at that time. PLO tends to have lots of post-flop action and huge pots. This poker game is rapidly increasing in popularity.
• Limit Omaha - In this variation of Omaha poker, the betting is structured, only allowing players to bet and raise in predetermined increments.
• No Limit Omaha - No Limit Omaha - This variation of Omaha is less common than the first two discussed. In No Limit Omaha (which can be played as either High or Hi/Lo), there are no betting limits and players may bet any amount, up to the size of their current chip stack.

See the Texas Hold’em page for more details on poker betting formats.

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How to Play Omaha

The general rules of Omaha are the same for each variation of the game. Typically, an Omaha game will consist of six, nine or 10 players. A round dealer button sits in front of one player at a time and moves clockwise around the table.

The two players sitting to the left of the dealer button are forced to make bets (called blinds) before each hand is dealt. The small blind is usually half the amount of the big blind. These forced bets establish the amount of the minimum bet once the cards are dealt and seed the pot.

Like most poker games, players have the option on each street to either check, bet, call, raise or fold. Depending on what other players do before them, a player will be limited to only some of these options on each street.

For example, when facing a bet from another player, you will have the option to call that bet, raise to another amount, or fold. You cannot check (pass on the action) because another player has already bet. If you are the first to act, checking or betting are both options, but there is nothing to raise or call. The betting structure is largely determined by which variation of Omaha you are playing.

Omaha Preflop Action

After the small and big blinds have been posted, the hand starts and each player is dealt four face-down cards, meaning they cannot be viewed by other players during the hand. Each player will have an option to act when the action reaches them, starting with the player to the left of the big blind and continuing clockwise thereafter.

The first player may call the amount of the big blind, raise to a larger amount, or fold their hand. Depending on what the first player chooses to do, every player reacts to the action until it reaches the players seated in the blinds, who have the last options preflop. If they choose to fold their hands at any point, their posted blinds are forfeited and become part of the pot.

Omaha Action on the Flop

Once preflop action is completed, three community cards called the Flop are dealt for all players to see. These cards are shared by every active player at the table. The Flop is the first three of the possible five cards that will make up the board of community cards by the end of the hand.

A new round of betting now occurs, this time beginning with the first active player seated to the left of the dealer button. This player has the option to either bet or check, and the action then continues clockwise until every active player has acted on their hand.

Omaha Action on the Turn

After the Flop betting round is complete, a new community card is dealt in the center of the table. This is known as the Turn (or Fourth Street). Another round of betting takes place, again starting with the first active player seated to the left of the dealer button and continuing clockwise until all players have acted on their hands.

Omaha Action on the River

A final community card, known as the River (or Fifth Street), is now dealt face up. One more round of betting occurs until the action is complete. This is the last card dealt in Omaha, and players will not have another opportunity to improve their hands.

Omaha Showdown

Once the final betting round is complete, players expose their hole cards in what is known as a Showdown. Remember that each player must use exactly two hole cards and three community cards to make his best possible five-card hand.

If at any time during the hand there is only one player remaining, then that player is awarded the pot, no more cards are dealt, and the next hand begins. In this situation, there is no Showdown, because players were not required to compare their hand rankings to determine a winner.

Depending on which variation of Omaha you are playing, the pot will be awarded to the appropriate winner(s). The button now moves one spot clockwise, and the next hand can begin.

Play Omaha Poker Online

Now that you understand the rules, you can test your skills by playing in the many Omaha games offered on PokerStars. Download the free PokerStars software to start playing Omaha. There are cash games and tournaments running constantly, as well as free poker games where you can practice before playing for real money.