Omaha Poker Game Rules

The exciting variation of Omaha Poker can be played with a maximum of 10 players and a minimum of 2 players. The game is played with the usual 52 card deck, not including the joker. In Omaha, a player is dealt 4 cards that are placed face down, also known as the Pocket Cards. After this, the dealer hands out five common community cards, all placed face up. A player has to make the best five-card poker hand using only two of their four pocket cards and three among the five common community cards. Each player has to create the best five-card combination to win the pot. The rankings of the hands in Omaha Poker online are similar to Texas Holdem.

Omaha High/Low Rules

Similar to regular Omaha poker, the rules in Omaha High/Low are also alike but with one exception, the pot is split equally between the best High hand and the best low hand. This means, a player can consider himself a winner, if he has the best High hand or if the player has the best Low hand that includes all 5 cards ranked 8 or lower. The pot is split equally amongst the two winners.

While playing Omaha High/Low, a player can make their five-card combination using only two of their four pocket cards and three of the five common community cards that are placed on the table.

After the round has ended, if a single player has the best Low hand, then the pot will be split between that player and the player with the best High hand. In cases where there are multiple players with a Low hand, the winner is determined basis the high card of their combination which is the lowest card (if similar, then the second highest card, etc). If several players have equal Low hands, then their pot share is split equally.

A smart way to stay ahead of the rest of the players is to play the High and Low hands simultaneously using two of the pocket cards and three of the common cards on the table. The best low hands consist of five, four, three, two, and Ace of any suit. The same Ace may be simultaneously be a part of the High hand and Low hand.

Game Types

Limit poker

When it comes to Omaha Limit Poker, the Bet as well as the Raise amount are agreed to in advance.

For example - In a 1/2 Limit game, both Bet and Bet Raise must be equal to 1. Not more or less. However, in the last two rounds, the Bet and Raise must be equal to 2.

Pot Limit

In a Pot Limit Omaha game, the maximum value of a Bet or Raise shouldn't be more than the current total amount in the pot.

For example - If the total amount in the pot is 100, then the initial player in the betting round bets 100, the second player can bet a total of 300 - 100 for his portion of the call and raise by 200, the total amount of money in the pot, including his call, when the betting action got to him. In Pot Limit Omaha, there are no caps on the number of raises a player can make.

No Limit

In No Limit Omaha games, there aren't any bet limits. Any player can make a bet in any particular round. However, the minimum bet must equal the big blind.

Game Stages

In Pot Limit Omaha, the game is divided into four rounds of betting. The initial pot is formed by accumulating the Blind Bets. The first player to take his spot on the table becomes the dealer. The hand begins from the player seated on the left of the dealer button. A round disk is placed in front of the player indicating who the dealer is.

If two players are placed at a table at the same time, be it for tournaments or cash tables, each player receives a card face up. The player to receive the card with the highest value, becomes a dealer. In such cases, the deal begins from the player to the left of the virtual dealer. The dealer button moves clockwise from player to player as each round ends.

Blinds

In Online Omaha, before a round begins, the two players to the left of the dealer button post the Blind Bets, they derive their name as the players post them before seeing any cards. An action also termed as "posting the blinds". This ensures that there is some amount in the pot before the round begins.

The first player to the left of the dealer posts the small blind, and the second player to the left of the dealer posts the big blind which equals to twice the amount of the small blind. In cases when a player doesn't have enough chips to make a Blind bet, he stakes everything he has at once. Refer to section "All-In"

If the game has only two players playing, the Small Blind and Big Blind are yet posted. However, the Big Blind is posted by the dealer. Only after the blinds are posted, can the round begin.

Pre-Flop

While playing Omaha poker, every player receives four cards face down. A player can only view the cards dealt to them. Once the blinds are posted, the player to the left of the Big Blind begins the round. The player can perform any one of the following actions -

Call - Match the amount of the big blind,

Raise - Increase the amount bet, or

Fold - Surrender his cards and his stake in the game.

Every player has to perform a similar action when the betting action comes to them. Once all players bet and the betting action returns to the Big Blind, the player can choose to not increase the bet and - Check - only if no other player has raised. If a player posts a Raise, the Big Blind has three viable options: Call, Raise or Fold.

When all players have posted the same amount or when all bets are equal, the initial pot is formed and the game turns to the next round of the game - Flop.

Flop

For the Flop, the first three cards of the Community Cards are flipped face up - also termed as the Flop. The player who posted the Small Blind begins the betting round. If the player mucks his cards, the betting round begins from the player who hasn't folded. Once all bets are equal, the game moves on to the next stage - Turn.

Turn

After the Flop, the fourth Community Card is dealt face up on the table and the third round of betting begins. Once all bets are equal, the game moves on to the next stage - River.

River

The final betting round begins after the fifth and final card - the River is revealed.

Showdown

After all the players have posted their bets, and all bets are equal, it's time to reveal the cards. The player to Bet or Raise during the final round is the one to reveal his cards first. If all players Check during the last round (nobody bets), the first player to the left from the dealer who doesn't discard his cards, reveals first. The rest of the layers reveal their cards clockwise around the table. If a player's hand is weaker than the winning hand, he has the option to show or muck his cards.

In Omaha:

In regular Omaha, the best five-card hand takes the pot.

In Omaha High/Low:

The pot is split equally among the best High hand and the best Low hand. If no particular player has a Low hand, the entire pot is given to the player with the High hand. In cases, where two players share a similar hand, the pot is split.

If a player goes All-In and wins, he can claim the pot which he was a part of forming. Refer to All-In.

Game-specific

Missed Blinds Policy

To prevent a player entering games at a late position to avoid placing blinds, an initial fee equal to the Big Blind must be posted, or a player can sit out and wait until the Big Blind reaches their position. A player can choose to:

- Post Big Blind, or

- Wait for the Big Blind to reach his position.

If a player chooses to wait for the Big Blind, they will have to sit out and will not be able to join the action until the

Big Blind comes around to their position. If a player already seated at a table, sits out for a while and misses the Big Blind, that player will also have to miss the Small Blind and the Dealer's button. In case a player misses the Small and Big Blind, they will be required to post an amount equal to the Big Blind plus a 'dead' bet equal to the Small Blind.

All-In

If a player finishes all of his chips, he may not necessarily fold the cards. The player can go All-in and bet all the chips in his possession. In such cases, the pot is divided into the Main Pot and the Side Pot. Bets that are placed here on are placed in the Side Pot. If the player to go All-in does not win, then the winner receives both the Main Pot and the Side Pot. However, if the player to go All-In wins, he takes the Main Pot but the Side Pot is won by the player to possess the second best five-card hand. If multiple players go All-in, then multiple Side Pots have to be created.

If a player calls every All-In bet but does not go All-in himself and does possess the highest ranking hand, he takes the Main Pot as well as all the Side Pots. However, if the highest ranking hand is of a player who went All-in, then he collects the pot or all pots which were created until he went All-In. In short, every All-In player having the highest ranking hand can only win the pots he contributed to.