Omaha Poker Rules

Omaha Poker is very similar to Texas Holdem except for two major differences: in Omaha you are dealt 4 hole cards instead of two and you must always use two of your hole cards to make your final five card poker hand.

Dealer’s Button

The dealer’s button is used in games in which there is a full time dealer. The button is a small, flat disc that represents the dealer’s position. This button moves one spot to the left at the beginning of each hand.

1. Two players post the blinds

The player to the immediate left of the dealer posts the small blind, which is a forced ante that’s equal to half the size of the minimum bet. The player to the left of the small blind must post the big blind. The big blind is equal in size to one full minimum bet.

2. Each player is dealt four cards face down

These cards are called the “hole cards.”

3. There is a round of betting

This is called the “preflop” round and the betting action begins with the player to the left of the big blind and continues clockwise around the table. The players may call, raise or fold. If any player make a raise, the other players at the table must at least match that bet or fold.

4. The Flop – 3 cards are dealt face up in the middle of the table

These three cards are community cards and all the players at the table use these cards in combination with their hole cards. This is also called “Third Street.”

5. A second round of betting

This time the betting action begins with the first player to the left of the dealer. The players may check, bet, raise or call. If any player makes a bet or raise, the other players at the table must at least match that bet or fold.

6. The Turn – 1 card is dealt face up in the middle of the table

This card is dealt next to the flop and it is also a community card. This is also called “Fourth Street.”

7. A third round of betting

This round of betting is played identically to the previous round of betting.

8. The River – 1 card is dealt face up in the middle of the table

This is the last community card and it is dealt next to the turn and flop cards. This is also called “Fifth Street.”

9. Final round of betting

There is one final round of betting after the river card is dealt and this round is identical to the previous round of betting.

10. Showdown

All the players remaining after the last round of betting now reveal their hole cards. The player with the best five card poker hand using exactly three cards from the board and two cards from his hand wins the pot.

In Texas Holdem you can use one, two or none of your cards to make your hand. In Omaha, you have to use exactly two cards from your hand and three cards from the board to make your poker hand.

This might sound like a small difference but it causes quite a bit of confusion in players who have recently switched over to Omaha from Texas Holdem. For example, in Holdem, you would have a flush if there were four spades on the board and you had one in your hand. In Omaha, this would not be a flush because you have to use exactly two of your hole cards and three from the board. As a result, you would get three spades from the board and one spade from your hole cards – not quite enough for a flush.

Recommended Reading: Basic Omaha Poker Strategy

Best Poker Site for Omaha

1. PokerStars

PokerStars has the most players and the greatest game selection out of every poker site on the internet. The Omaha tables are well populated so you can always find games at all stakes.

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