Omaha Poker

Omaha Poker

This great game is rapidly becoming the second-most popular among poker varieties, behind only Texas Hold 'Em. In fact, basic Omaha is a very close relative of Texas Hold 'Em, with the fundamental difference being that players have four hole cards (sometimes known as pocket cards).

How to Play

Here's a typical "hand" or round in Omaha:

The player to the left of the dealer puts out a bet called the small blind. This is a required bet for that player. The next player to the left puts out the big blind, which is usually double the small blind. For example, Player 1 puts out a $1 chip and Player 2 puts out a $2 chip. (Keep in mind that the "dealer" position moves around the table to the left and the blinds (required bets) move as well.

Each player is dealt four hole cards (instead of two as in Hold 'Em). Player 1 has the option to fold, bet or raise based on the amount of the blinds. Players cannot check in this round, since there are bets on the table. Three raises are usually allowed in the round.

The three community cards are dealt, face up in the middle of the table. This is the flop. Players can then check, fold, call or raise. In the next round, one card is dealt face up next to the flop cards. This has come to be called "the turn." Another round of betting follows.

In the last round, the final community card is dealt face up. This card has come to be called "the river." A final round of betting follows. Players who have stayed in the hand use two of their pocket cards and the five shared cards to make their best five-card hand. The winning hand must include two of the player's hole cards and three of the community cards. The player with the best hand gets the pot, unless two players have equal hands. The pot is then split evenly.

As with all poker games, these basic instructions are truly just the start when it comes to understanding poker in general or any of the varieties of the game. Omaha's slight difference from Texas Hold 'Em is a great example of how a player must know much more than how to bet and how to read a hand. The introduction of two extra hole cards is a detail that keeps many players from becoming experts at Omaha, when they are already accomplished players in Hold 'Em, Seven-Card Stud or another game.

Why would this be the case, you ask? In Hold 'Em, the player may use one of his hole cards, both of the hole cards or neither of the two. Omaha players must use two, and no more than two, of their cards with three of the cards on the table (community cards, cards on the board).

One of the truly interesting developments in Omaha poker has been the popularity of Omaha Eight or Better. This special variation on the game grew so rapidly that it has come to be included in many instructional books and videos, as a game unto itself. Players still use two, and not more than two, of their hole cards, in combination with three community cards. But with Eight or Better, players can make a high hand and a low hand.

The great poker pro Bobby Baldwin joined with Mark Gregorich to contribute the Omaha Eight or Better chapter to Doyle Brunson's Super System 2 book. Gregorich is recognized as a great in the high/low form of Omaha. These two briefly explain how to make Omaha Eight or Better work. Players can use different cards to make a high hand and a low hand, or they can use a card for both the high and low hands. This twist on the traditional Hold 'Em and Omaha varieties seems to limit the number of great Omaha players. But those who feel comfortable with Omaha Eight or Better often play nothing else.

Why Omaha?

The origin of the name "Omaha" for this poker variety is unknown. Though some may dispute it, most poker experts and professionals will say that the game was not invented or started in Omaha, Nebraska. It may be best to describe the origins of Omaha as "still a matter for debate." It seems that a couple of casino owners and card players brought the game to Las Vegas a few decades ago. Beyond that, little is known about how the Nebraska city's name came to be associated with this poker variety. Some players have guessed that during a cash game somewhere in one of the backrooms of the American West or South, a player mentioned the word "Omaha" while introducing the new variation, and it stuck. No one really knows, but this poker game has rapidly attracted hundreds of players around the world.