Imagine a poker game where veteran experience in poker rooms doesn’t guarantee anything, where the numbers stack up a jaw-dropping amount compared to Texas odds, thus meaning a better chance to win some cash! And most (if not all) poker players play to win money, right?
Why Omaha Hold’em poker has got the globe hooked
Omaha Hold’em poker is Europe’s No.1 favourite, and the 2nd most popular variant played globally, with Texas Hold’em clinching the top spot after Stud died off. Stud was a long-term favourite, but it was the ride and buzz Texas offered which won over the masses. However, it can only sail so far. The fact is:
Omaha is Texas on steroids
Today’s punters want and need more excitement, new mental challenges, and a real chance at winning – the legendary thrill casinos offer, where anything’s game and the stacks grow high.
Better chance at winning Omaha Hold’em poker against experienced Texas players
Texas offered simple rules and left huge scope for strategy, and gamers like fair play and a chance to flex their brain cells. Texas players have a reputation for being the best, and if you’re relatively new to poker and play Texas against one, chances of gaining a big edge are slim to none, gambling on luck alone. With a new game comes a new set of rules and knowing the old rules by heart doesn’t guarantee success with new variants.
How to play Omaha poker
The general opinion is that players familiar with other poker games have the edge and will pick it up easily, but it also means they can trip up over Omaha Hold’em rules. If you’re a total newbie, we’ve got an extensive database covering everything you need to introduce you gently into the world of poker.
The objective
To form the highest-ranking 5-card hand to win the pot (and become known for being an awesome poker player). If it’s a tie, you win half the pot.
Omaha Hold’em rules and terminology
Played between 2-10 players, Omaha uses a standard 52-card deck, each hand played through 4 rounds. Wagers vary, but can be pot limit, fixed limit or no limit amounts. A dealer button is used and play rotates left.
Hole cards
Theses are dealt pre-flop (round 1). Each player receives 4, but can only use 2 of their hole cards (combined with 3 community cards) to form their final 5-card hand.
Community cards
In total, 5 community cards are dealt face up. The first 3 on the flop (round 2), then 1 on the Turn (before round 3), the 5th is called the River card and is dealt before the Showdown (last round). If everyone folds before the final round, there’s no Showdown and you win automatically, with no need to reveal your cards.
Big Blind and Little Blind bets
Placed before the start of play, Big Blind and Little Blind bets are compulsory. Amounts depend on the pot amounts and usually represent the lowest and highest pot values.
Example: the pot ranges from 1p to £1. Little Blind bet player (left of the dealer button) will place 1p. Big Blind player (left of the Little Blind player) places £1. The Big Blind bet is the first bet laid during each game.
Terminology
There will be lots of decisions to make, strategies to form, players to analyse, etc. What action you take is determined by these words:
- Bet: yep – it’s when you put your funds into the pot
- Fold: if you don’t think your hand is strong enough, this is where you cut your losses and throw down your cards, loosing any funds in the pot.
- Call: when you match the last bet laid in the current round.
- Raise: when you increase the bet placed by the previous player.
- All-in: if you don’t quite have the chips, or only a few more than the bet, this is when you go all-in, placing your chips in a seperate pile from the pot. The value of your chips is the maximum you can win from each player.
Practice and play Omaha Hold’em online for free
There’s no doubt having played a few games of Texas in the past will give you a small advantage, but you’ve gotta start somewhere. You should be able to play Omaha Hold’em online for free at most reputable casinos, giving you a feel for the game, (figuring out how much homework you need to do) before you spend any real money.