Welcome to my Paul Hillier poker guide! I want to teach you more about Omaha poker strategy so you can improve your game play. First, let’s take a look at what it is and from where it comes.
Omaha Poker Rules
It is also known as Omaha hold ‘em and is similar to Texas hold ‘em. If you look at Omaha vs Hold ‘em, there aren’t many differences.
It is also a community card game, where there is a pack of cards that must be used with the cards handed out to you. Playing online is the same as playing it physically.
You will use a French deck with 52 cards. Each player receives four cards and has to use two of them and three community cards to make a complete hand. The highest card starts at Ace and goes down in value in the order of King, Queen, Jack.
You use the full pack of 52 cards for the game.
There are also common variations of Omaha poker. When you play this game online, you might find one of these popular variations. The most common varieties are the Pot Limit and the five-card, but you will also find a few other, less popular variations.
What is Omaha Poker?
As I mentioned before, it is very similar to Texas hold ‘em, except for the fact that you have to complete your hands using community cards. I don’t know precisely where it comes from, but Robert Turner first introduced it to Bill Boyd in a casino.
The game was first played exclusively at Las Vegas Golden Nugget, where it was called Nugget hold ‘em. From there, it became more and more popular. Initially, players would only be dealt with two cards, and they would have to use community cards with these two to complete a hand.
While this version still exists, it’s not as popular as the later variations. It has grown in popularity so much that you won’t easily find an online site that doesn’t have Omaha poker. Many of the highest stake games run at the moment are Omaha variations, showing just how popular it is.
Online Omaha Poker
Playing online is exactly the same. The only difference is that you might struggle to read your opponents. Not being able to see their faces, means you’re not sure if they are bluffing or not. All my other strategies will still be solid, though.
You can find the best online sites right here on PaulHillier.com. Each of these sites has been tested for safety and security, and you can have fun applying the new strategies you learned.
Omaha vs. Hold ‘em
There are a number of differences between Omaha and Texas Hold ‘em. The most significant difference between Texas Hold ‘em and Omaha is the fact that you have to use two of your cards to make any complete hand. That means that you can’t use only community cards to win.
The ideal starting hands will be high cards, that you can easily supplement with community cards. The rules are thus similar to Texas hold ‘em.
Omaha Poker Tips
You can apply similar strategies when you play Omaha vs. Holdem. There’s no hard rule as to which hands to play and which ones to fold. If you start with a low hand, it will make it difficult to win the round, but not impossible.
It would be best if you didn’t place too much value on the Aces. Omaha is all about the nuts, where someone will have the nut flush or nut straight, and if it’s not you, you probably don’t have the right hand.
You can play more hands with Omaha than Holdem since you have four cards instead of two, so it’s a little more fun. People tend to play this version longer in general than Texas hold ‘em. They also prefer to make higher bets.
The best strategy for any poker game is to play the players, not the cards. It’s essential that you can read the people you play with and make them believe your hand is good, even if it’s not.
You should choose the people you play with very carefully. If the odds are in your favor, place, or raise your bet. If it’s not, fold.
Don’t place bets just for the sake of the game. Place bets on your best hands, but remember to play the people at your table.
Conclusion
Omaha poker is a fantastic game, which is not only fun but can also be lucrative. Make sure that you keep the tips that I gave you in mind when you play, whether it’s online or recreationally with friends.
Remember to take a look at the best poker sites that I recommend before you start playing!
FAQs
The idea is to beat your opponents by having the best hand using two of your hole cards and three of the five cards from the board.
The pot limit refers to a betting structure in where the player may bet or rise while in no limit there is a minimum that is required to bet to open the game.
In short, yes. You have to use 2 of your hole cards when creating your best hand possible.
