Omaha poker is a very exciting poker game that derived from Texas Hold'em. In Omaha Hold'em every player is dealt four face down cards called hole cards. In Omaha after betting the first round after completion of dealing the hole cards. The flop occurs which is the dealing of 3 community cards face up. These community cards are to be used by all players to make the best possible combination of cards. Another round of betting occurs, then the fourth face up card is dealt to the community cards. This fourth card is called the turn card. Afterwards, another round of betting occurs. After all bets are finished the fifth and final community card is dealt face up, this card is called the river card. Then the final betting occurs in the hand. After all the betting is complete the player with the best hand, or the player who forces all others to fold by his betting wins the hand. All players can only use three of the community cards together with only two of their hole cards to make the best five-card poker hand.
There are two different types of Omaha Hold'em. There is Omaha High Hold'em and Omaha High Low Hold'em. In Omaha High Hold'em only the top highest hand can win the pot. With Omaha High Low there can be two winning hands, the highest hand being the best combination of cards, just as in Texas Hold'em, and the lowest hand being the lowest combined number value of the 5 cards used, with aces counting as one.
To qualify for the low pot, you would need a hand with at most an 8 high, no low pairs can be combined in the count, only one of those two cards can be used. A player can scoop both pots if he he has both high and low hands, or there is no qualifying winning low hand.
The Top 20 Starting Hands in Omaha High Hold'em:
All hands in the list are better if they are suited or double-suited. Where you see "x," read: any card.
| A-A-K-K | Double Suited |
| A-A-J-T | Double Suited |
| A-A-Q-Q | Double Suited |
| A-A-J-J | Double Suited |
| A-A-T-T | Double Suited |
| A-A-9-9 | Double Suited |
| A-A-x-x | |
| J-T-9-8 | Double Suited |
| K-K-Q-Q | |
| K-K-J-J | |
| K-Q-J-T | |
| K-K-T-T | |
| K-K-A-Q | |
| K-K-A-J | |
| K-K-Q-J | |
| K-K-Q-T | |
| K-K-J-T | |
| Q-Q-J-J | |
| Q-Q-T-T | |
| Q-Q-A-K | |
The Top 20 Starting Hands in Omaha Hi/Low:
A-A-2-4 Double Suited
A-A-2-3 Suited
A-A-2-5 Double Suited
A-A-2-4 Suited
A-A-3-4 Double Suited
A-A-2-3 Non-suited
A-A-2-2 Double Suited
A-A-3-5 Double Suited
A-A-2-6 Double Suited
A-A-2-x
A-A-3-x
A-A-4-5
A-2-3-x
A-2-K-K
A-2-Q-Q
A-2-J-J
A-3-4-5
A-A-x-x
A-2-K-Q
Where you see "x," read: any card. It is essential that you consider how all of the above hands vary in strength, depending on the x-card/s and whether the hand is non-suited, suited or double-suited.
Omaha High/Low is one of the most difficult poker games to master. It would be wise to practice playing it on a free play money online poker site before advancing to play in a real money poker site.
