Variants
Omaha poker rules and the one difference from hold'em that matters
Omaha looks like hold'em with four cards, and that is where the resemblance ends: the hand uses exactly two hole cards and three from the board, betting is usually capped at the pot, and showdown hands are stronger. Rules and the traps that catch hold'em converts.
- 4hole cards
- 2used in the hand
- 3from the board
- up to 7 playersat the table
Each player gets 4 hole cards; the board has five cards as in hold'em, but the hand is built from 2 hole cards and 3 community cards - never one hole card, never three. Most games are pot-limit: the maximum bet equals the pot. Tables seat up to 7 players; five- and six-card variants up to 6 players.
The two-card rule
The one rule to learn and the one most often broken. Four aces in hand are a pair of aces, because only two may be used. Four suited cards on the board give no flush if you hold one of that suit. Practise it on play chips until it is reflex.
Pot-limit
In most Omaha games a bet cannot exceed the pot: with twenty blinds in the middle you cannot bet a hundred. That keeps variance in check and makes you count the pot before every raise; the client\'s "pot" button does the arithmetic.
Omaha versus hold\'em in practice
| Hold'em | Omaha | |
|---|---|---|
| Hole cards | 2 hole cards | 4 hole cards |
| Used in the hand | any, from none to two | exactly two |
| Showdown strength | a pair often wins | a set or straight is the floor |
| Variance | moderate | high: equities run close |
| Players | up to nine or ten | up to 7 players; PLO-5 and PLO-6 up to 6 players |
Mistakes hold\'em players make
- Overrating pocket aces: in Omaha they are a starting hand, not a finished one.
- Playing hands where only two cards "work": strong Omaha hands connect all four.
- Not counting the pot before betting.
- Chasing weak flushes: a higher flush is common at showdown.
PLO-5 and PLO-6 follow the same rules with more combinations and even higher variance. At GGPoker Omaha runs in regular cash, Rush & Cash and All-In or Fold. Other variants: short deck.
Keep reading
Texas hold'em
Texas hold'em rules: two hole cards, five community cards, four betting rounds, how the hand is built, positions and blinds, starting hands for beginners and why hold'em is the best first game.
Short deck
Short deck poker (6+ hold'em): rules on a deck without twos through fives, why a flush beats a full house, the ace-low straight, antes instead of blinds and how it differs from regular hold'em.
Hand rankings
Poker hand rankings from high card to royal flush: what beats what, how each hand is made, how ties and kickers work, and where the order changes in short deck.
Learn
How to play poker from scratch: hand rankings, Texas hold'em and Omaha rules, short deck, bankroll management - with a plan that takes you to a first real-money table.
Omaha on play chips is the fastest way to learn the two-card rule
Open a GGPoker account and play a hundred free hands before sitting at a real table.