How to Play Omaha Hi
Written February 6, 2008 by Jack Jones
Omaha is a variation of poker where each player is dealt 4 cards face down (their hole cards) and then has to make the best 5 card poker hand possible on based on their 4 hole cards and the 5 community cards that are dealt onto the table as the game progresses. Unlike hold’em in which any combination of the board and hole cards can be used, in Omaha you must make the best 5 card poker hand using 2 of your hole cards and 3 of the community cards. You must use these exact numbers and as a result, hand selection is very important in Omaha. Omaha uses a standard 52 card deck and uses the same hand ranking as normal poker.Before the cards are dealt, the person to the left of the dealer puts up a nominated amount called the Small Blind (SB) and the person to his left puts up double that amount known as the Big Blind (BB). These amounts vary depending on the level being played. For example if you were playing a limit $1/$2 game then SB and BB would be respectively $0.50/$1 each.
Each person is then dealt their 4 hole cards starting with the person in the SB. The first person to act is the person to the left on the BB (known as under the gun UTG). UTG may either call the BB amount, raise the BB amount or fold. Play then continues to the person on the left who may either call the current bet, raise the current bet or fold.
Once all the actions have been completed, the first 3 community cards are dealt face up, this is known as the flop. The first person to act is now the person closest to the dealers left. This would be the SB if they are still in the pot. Another round of betting begins on this round but now you must take into account not only their hole cards but also how their hole cards match the board.
Once this round of betting is complete, a 4th community card known as the turn is dealt. Players bet again based on their hand. Once that round of betting is complete, a 5th and final community card known as the river is dealt. After the river is dealt, the final round of betting occurs.
Just like in normal poker, the game can end before all of the community cards are dealt if one person bets enough to force all of the remaining players to fold their hand. If this occurs, that person wins the pot and another game proceeds to the next hand.
Omaha can be played as either a limit, pot limit or no limit game. In a limit game the players are forced to bet under a fixed structure. For example in a $1/$2 game, the bets in the first round preflop would be $1, $2, $3 and $4 (the games are normally capped at 4 bets per round). On the flop the bets are the same but on the turn and the river, the bets are $2, $4, $6, $8. (See the example below for more information on how this works). So for example the first person to act in an initial round could call the $1 BB or raise it $2. If it was raised, the next person could raise it to $3 or call the $2 or fold.
In a pot limit game the maximum bet is the size of the pot. For example, if $10 exists in the pot then you can bet up to $10 on your turn. A no limit game is similar to a pot limit game except that there is no maximum bet, the player can bet and raise whatever they wants.
Below is a sample hand of Omaha to illustrate how the game works:
You are in a 6 handed game, $1/$2 limit game and you are dealt (Ah, Kh, 3d, 3c). You are UTG and so must act first. You have a reasonable hand and so call the $1 BB. The person in 2nd position raises it to $2. The 3rd and 4th player fold. The SB calls as does the BB, you decide to call as well.
The flop comes down As, 7h, Qh. From the flop you have a pair of aces with a king kicker and the nut flush draw with 4 hearts. Both the SB and BB checks to you and you bet with your good hand. The guy in 2nd position raises and both the blinds fold. You decide to call the raise even though you fear you are behind and hope to hit your flush draw.
The turn is 10h making the board As, 7h, Qh, 10h. Giving you the nut flush and a potential straight flush draw. You bet out and under the structure the bet is now $2. Your opponent thinks for a while and calls.
The river is the 2c making the board As, 7h, Qh, 10h, 2c. You again bet out and your opponent folds.