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How to Play Omaha Poker
Similar to Texas Hold’em, Omaha poker is a community-card game where players try to build the best possible hand using a mixture of hole and shared cards. In our expert guide to Omaha poker online you’ll find the best sites for Aussie players, learn how to play, pick up winning strategy & more!
Best Omaha Poker Online Casinos in Australia
Here are the top-rated Aussie online poker sites where you can play Omaha for real money:
What is Omaha Poker?
Omaha poker is often considered to be a variation of Texas Hold’em poker and the games are very similar. The major difference between Hold’em and Omaha is that in Hold’em, players receive two hole cards while in Omaha they are dealt four. Of those four hole cards, players must use two of them plus three community cards to make the five card hand.
Here are the steps of a round of Omaha:
- Small and big blind bets are placed.
- Each player receives four face-down cards. This is known as the ‘pre-flop.’ There is another round of betting.
- The dealer will overturn three of the five community cards. This is known as ‘the flop.’ There is another round of betting.
- The dealer will overturn the fourth of the five community cards. This is known as ‘the turn.’ There is another round of betting.
- The dealer will overturn the fifth and final community card. This is known as ‘the river.’
- If there is more than one player still in the game, there is a showdown. Players will reveal their best five card hand and the winner takes the pot.
How to Play Omaha Poker Online
To reiterate, your goal in Omaha poker is to build the best possible five-card hand using two of your hole cards and three of the community cards. Here is a run-down of how to play a hand of Omaha poker, step-by-step:
Pay The Blind
Before any cards are dealt, two players must pay the blind bets. Initially, the player to the left of the dealer will pay the small blind, and the player to their left will pay the big blind.
In Omaha, the big blind amount is equal to a small bet. The small blind is usually half the amount of the big blind.
The Deal
Once the blinds are paid, the game begins. The dealer will deal each player four face-down hole cards. Once each player has had the chance to look at their hole cards, there is another round of betting.
Remember, in Omaha poker you can only use two of the four hole cards to make your playing hand. That means that if you have drawn three kings, you could only use two of them in your five-card hand.
The Pre-Flop
The round of betting after the hole cards have been dealt is known as the pre-flop. Players have imperfect knowledge of the game at hand. They have seen their four hole cards, but have no idea what the five community cards look like.
Each player can choose to fold (withdraw from the game), raise (wager more money and up the stakes) or call (match the big blind). To stay in the game, players must add some money to the pot. There is a maximum of four raises in any one betting round.
The Flop
With bets placed, the dealer will overturn three of the five face-down community cards. This is known as the flop, and gives players a better view of the game at hand. Because each player must use three of the five community cards in their final hand in Omaha, they must use at least one of the overturned cards.
Once the flop happens, there is another betting round. Players can again choose to raise, call or fold.
The Turn
The dealer will then reveal the fourth of the community cards. This is referred to as the turn. With all but one of the cards revealed, players have to choose whether to raise, call or fold.
The River
The dealer will overturn the fifth and final community card. For the final time, players still in the game will choose to raise, call or withdraw.
The Showdown
If more than one player remains in the game, it will move to a showdown. With all betting rounds complete, the remaining players reveal their best five-card hands using two of their hole cards and three of the community cards. The player with the best hand takes the pot. In the event of a tie, the pot is evenly split.
Omaha Poker Hand Rankings
The card rankings in Omaha are identical to those in Texas Hold’em and many other poker variations. From best to worst, here are the recognised hand rankings in Omaha:
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Royal Flush | 10, J, Q, K and ace all of the same suit |
| Straight Flush | Any five sequential cards of the same suit |
| Four of Kind | Four cards of the same value |
| Full House | Three cards of the same value with a further two different cards of the same value |
| Flush | Five cards all of the same suit |
| Straight | Five sequential cards, suit doesn’t matter |
| Three of a Kind | Three cards of the same value (other two cards don’t matter) |
| Two Pair | Two cards of the same value and two different cards of the same value (the fifth card doesn’t matter) |
| One Pair | Two cards of the same value (the other three cards don’t matter) |
| High Card | If no recognised poker hand is involved, the game will defer to the highest-value card in the hand |
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Omaha Poker Tips
Manage Your Bankroll
Because Omaha is a game of both luck and strategy, you’ll need to manage your bankroll well to be successful. We generally recommend playing at a table where your bankroll will stretch for fifty buy-ins.
Take Your Chances
For every strong hand you’re dealt, you’ll probably be dealt many weak ones. For that reason, it’s important to play aggressively on good hands. Be sure to take the opportunities when they present themselves.
Fold When Necessary
Folding is not the same as losing. Even professional poker players know to fold when they think they’re beat. Weak hands in Omaha are usually not worth playing, so it’s best to bow out and live to play another hand.
Types of Omaha Poker
Though Omaha is itself a poker variation, different versions of Omaha also exist! Here are some of the most common types of Omaha poker you’ll find at the best Australian online casinos:
No Limit Omaha
As the name would suggest, there are no betting limits in no limit Omaha. A player’s maximum bet is therefore the total amount of chips in their possession.
Omaha HILO
In HiLo, the prize pot is split between the player with the highest hand and the player with the lowest hand. If there is no player with a recognised ‘low’ hand, the entire pot usually goes to the player with the highest hand.
Pot Limit
In Pot Limit, players are restricted to a maximum wager of the amount in the pot.
Omaha Poker Online FAQs
How do I win Omaha Poker?
To win a hand of Omaha, you must beat out players by either convincing them to fold before the showdown, or by building the best possible five-card poker hand using two hole cards and three community cards. Your hand might include a pair, two pairs, three of a kind, or any of the other recognised poker hands. If two or more players remain after the river, the five-card hands will be revealed and the player with the best one will take the pot.
How many cards are dealt in Omaha Poker?
Each player in Omaha receives four hole cards. A further five community cards are also dealt to the table. The final five-card hands which are unveiled during the showdown must use two of the hole cards and three of the community cards.
How much can I win playing Omaha Poker online?
You can find Omaha poker games online which cater to high and low stakes players. There isn’t really a limit on exactly how much you can win. Most tournaments (such as the World Series of Poker) use Texas Hold’em poker in their main events, with Omaha games being a lesser attraction. In tournament Omaha, prize pools can be millions of dollars. However, tournaments tend to be incredibly competitive and attract world-class players.
What is the best hand in Omaha Poker?
The best hand in Omaha poker is the royal flush – a 10, J, Q, K and Ace of the same suit. The royal flush is incredibly rare.
What’s the difference between Omaha Poker and Texas Hold’em?
Omaha poker could be considered a variation of Texas Hold’em. While the two games share the same betting patterns (flop, turn and the river) and many of the same rules, there are a few key differences.
Firstly, in Omaha poker each player is dealt four hole cards. In Texas Hold’em, they are only dealt two. Secondly, in Omaha poker the final five-card hand which players make must consist of two hole cards and three community cards. In Hold’em, players have the freedom to use two, one or none of their hole cards when making their five-card hand.
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