...So that even a complete DUMMY can know how to play Omaha poker today!
OMAHA - THE BASICS! If your only experience of online poker has been playing Texas Hold’em, you owe it to yourself to at least try Omaha poker. The basic mechanics of the game are the same as Hold’em having been derived from it in the first place. The striking difference with Omaha is that each player is dealt four hole cards instead of two. Also, in Omaha you MUST use exactly two of your four hole cards to form your best five card hand in conjunction with three cards from the five community cards centre table. The result of the larger number of cards available to each player is that there are many more truly premium winning hands occurring generally in Omaha poker. This requires a major overhaul of your normal betting strategy in terms of what value you place on the hole cards you receive. A pair of Aces dealt to you in a game of Hold’em will have your insides smiling, whilst in Omaha such a hand is not so uncommon and therefore requires more thoughtful evaluation.
OMAHA TIP OF THE DAY Precisely because you’ll find yourself with a premium hand in Omaha poker more often than in Texas Hold’em this can often lead to two players facing off who both have a Full House. When this happens, and it’s not that rare in Omaha, obviously the highest value Full House wins. So if you’re holding a Full House and you’re feeling one hundred percent about your chances of stealing the pot, just check the board and make sure the three -of- a- kind section of your hand is comprised of higher value cards than any pair that might be displayed on the board.
HERE’S AN EXAMPLE... Let’s say you have two tens as hole cards and are making up your three-of-a-kind with the help of a stray ten on the board. If you are also relying on a pair of jacks displayed on the board to complete your Full House be very well aware it’s a virtual certainty another player has made “trips” of the jacks (In other words has jacks for his three-of-a-kind). So if there’s also a pair of nines on the board your opponent’s three jacks and two nines are going to pip your three tens and two jacks for the pot! Think it can’t happen? Think again. The key is, are your trips stronger than any exposed pair on the board?
Omaha Poker Resources:
Omaha Poker Strategy Articles -- A useful collection of articles relating specifically to strategy and tips for Omaha Poker.
Omaha Poker Hi-Lo -- a nice clear explanation of the game, how to play Omaha poker and the basic rules of Omaha Poker Hi Lo.
How and Why to Play Omaha Hi Lo Poker -- a thorough guide to Omaha poker that is written in 2 parts. There are links at the bottom of the page that will take you to part 2: Omaha Poker Strategy and Starting hand selection.
Omaha Poker Tips -- A useful site with rules, strategy and omaha poker tips.
