Omaha Poker, like Texas Hold'em is a community card game.
Community cards, or board cards, are cards which are dealt face up in the middle of the table and which can be used by all players in conjunction with their hole cards to make a five card poker hand.
In a game of Omaha Poker, each player is dealt four hole cards (cards for the player's eyes only) and, whereas in a game of Hold'em a player may use any combination of five cards from their hole cards and the board cards to make a hand, in Omaha a player must use precisely two cards from their hand and three cards from the board.
The Game
At the start of play, before any cards have been dealt, the blinds are posted. The blinds are bets made by the two players to the left of the dealer. The player to the immediate left of the dealer posts the small blind, the player to the left of the small blind posts the big blind. The blinds are posted before any cards are dealt to help get the betting underway.
The First Round
Once the blinds have been posted, the players are dealt their hole cards and a round of betting follows.
- The first player to act is the player to the immediate left of the big blind. At this stage in the game, because of the blinds, each player has three options: FOLD, CALL or RAISE.
- To fold is to throw in your cards and take no further action in the hand.
- To call is to match the previous bet in order to remain in the game.
- To raise is to make a bet in excess of the previous bet by at least the table minimum.
Each player in turn (in a clockwise direction) must make a decision and to stay in the game must continue to bet until all remaining players have staked an equal amount (this holds true for each of the four rounds of betting).
Note: If, when the action comes round to the big blind and none of the remaining players have made a raise (therefore all betting is even), the player on the big blind has the option to either raise or CHECK. To check is to pass without placing a bet and yet remain in the game. In all instances other than on the big blind in the first round, the option to check can only be used when no prior bets in a round have been made.
The Second Round
Once the betting is even, the game continues with the dealing of THE FLOP (the first three board cards) which in turn prompts another round of betting. This time however, and for each subsequent round of betting, the first player to act is the first active player to the left of the dealer. In this and the next two rounds players can either check, fold, bet/call or raise, depending on the actions of the players before them.
The Third Round
The third round of betting commences after THE TURN (the fourth board card) has been dealt. Play begins again with the first active player to the left of the dealer, each player making a choice in turn as in the previous round.
The Fourth Round
The fourth and final round is begun after the dealing of THE RIVER (the fifth and final board card). Betting resumes (or not as the case may be) until all bets are once again even.
The Showdown
When, after the river card, all betting has finished, the remaining players must show all of their hole cards face up on the table in order to determine the winner. This is called THE SHOWDOWN.
Remember: A hand must comprise of precisely two hole cards and three board cards.
Hand Rankings for Omaha are the same as Holdem.
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