Omaha Hi

Omaha Hi: The "Other" Poker Favorite

Both Omaha Hi and Hold’em have gone to the top of the list of favorite poker games, with Omaha holding on to Hold’em in the race for the most popular game. Both games form key sections of the World Series of Poker and other major tournaments. The number of good Omaha players, however, is dramatically smaller, perhaps because it requires a different way of thinking to sort out just which hands might win, as compared to Hold’em.

Omaha Ho: Four Hole Cards, Use Two

Yes, players sitting at a Texas Hold’em table and an Omaha table will see that the cards are dealt in the same way. The initial deal of the cards should give us an indication of just how different Omaha is from Holdem. Each player receives four “hole” cards in Omaha, as opposed to just two in Hold’em.

This detail might seem insignificant but it actually leads to a huge difference in how the game goes. There will be five “community” (or shared) cards on the table and each player uses those to make the best five-card poker hand possible. Each game has forced bets or blinds. These blinds and the (dealer) “button” rotate clockwise around the table. But here’s the catch: the player must use two and only two of the four hole cards to make that poker hand.

Omaha Hi: More Choices To Create Your Hand

In both games, players must think of how the community cards will work with the hole cards to make a good hand. But the extra combinations that come with Omaha Hi can separate the good players from the contributors, so to speak. Starting-hand guidelines from Hold’em won’t work in this game. There are more possible two-card combinations in Omaha.

For beginners, hands with just two suits might be a good start. But don’t think you're there when you see that your four hole cards are all the same suit. You can only use two to make a flush and you have eliminated two helping cards (they’re in your hand!). Other key starting elements: you must have two cards of a suit in your hand to make a flush; if there are three of a kind on the board you must have a pair in your hand to make a full house.

Omaha Hi Basics

Some other basics:

  • Big pairs are not as valuable as in Hold’em
  • Even two Aces is a drawing hand in most cases
  • Position may not be as important as in Hold’em but it’s still a strong factor
  • Omaha is a “flop” game, more so than Hold’em

In Omaha Hi, players are still aiming for highest hand, of course. But the route there is different.