If we had to point out the most glaring difference between the second most popular poker style in the world, Omaha poker, and its counterpart, the #1 most popular poker style in the world, Texas Hold’em Poker, it would be that in Omaha you start with four hole cards and in Hold'em, only two. But the biggest similarity between the two is that in order to produce a winning hand, you need to use two cards from the hole cards you’ve been dealt and three cards from the pot.
Want to know more? Want to expand your online poker repertoire beyond the standard Texas Hold'em games? Then read on for all the Omaha poker rules and where to find the best online casinos to experience and practice the variations of Omaha poker first-hand.
How to Play Omaha Poker
Now, Omaha is undoubtedly one of the fastest action poker games you can find and it’s definitely the favourite poker variation for those of you who enjoy fast and furious poker games. There's no threat of boredom in an Omaha game - only the worry that you'll fall behind as players whizz through the rounds. The most popular type of Omaha is the online Omaha Hi-Lo, which is even faster and more complicated, as well as the Omaha 8-or-better.
Omaha Hi-Lo is definitely one of the more advanced online poker games you can find and requires you to think quickly and in multiple directions, as you not only need to make the best high hand you can but also the best low hand. The 8-or-better variation will also require you to split your hand (and the winning pot) between the best high and the best low hand. With this in mind, this is where the actual 8-or-better part comes into the game. In order to gain a qualifying low hand, you need to have five different face cards that are ranked 8 or lower.
How To Get The Nuts, ie. The Winning Omaha Hand
Now, one of the most important things that you need to understand about Omaha is that the game is particularly challenging in terms of proceeding forward with the Nuts. The "Nuts" is an expression that figuratively describes the most powerful hand in the current draw.
The range of potential combinations is therefore extended because, unlike Hold’em, here, your opponents have 4-hole cards that they can combine to make a winning combo. When playing any kind of Omaha poker rules, this becomes a critical consideration because it means that there are more mystery cards and potential winning combinations that you can't see on the table. And if you're playing Hi-Lo, the number of winning combinations is doubled again. It will take all your skills and poker knowledge to outwit your opponents when so little is revealed. This is one of the main reasons why Omaha is so much more sophisticated and thrilling than most other kinds of poker games.
What about Omaha Poker Playing Positions?
If you’ve played poker before, you already know that where you sit in relation to the dealer, your position, is an incredibly important part of your strategic game. This is especially true when it comes to serious players. Different positions determine the type of hands you will be playing as well as the types of hands that you would be passing on.
A lot of people consider that the positions in Omaha are even more important than those in Texas Hold’em. When sitting in a later position, you get to see the other players’ bets before you place your own, so are provided with the chance to observe and wait for the actions of your opponents. This will allow you to make convenient decisions based on the information that you receive. As such, you would be in a better position to act as you’d have more information.
On the other hand, when you are sitting in an earlier position (ie. to the right of the dealer), it would be a lot harder for you to make the necessary and correct decisions as you would be dealing with little to no information at all, especially if you are under the gun. UTG, or Under-the-gun, is the seating position that immediately follows the dealer. Therefore, you would be the first one to make a call of any kind without the benefit of seeing how the other players bet before you do. And in that case, convincing poker bluffing skills will become your best friend...
Omaha Poker Bluffs
Let’s jump straight to the fun part, shall we? When you play Omaha poker online, your main intention would be to get or to represent that you have "the nuts." This is the winning hand of the game. And as mentioned, if you're in an earlier seating position you might find it a bit more interesting if you can bluff your opponents into thinking you have a great hand, either high or low. If you can bluff them into folding or betting accordingly, you'll have a better idea of what they are holding for the next betting round and a much higher chance of winning, whether you've got the nuts or not. This is also the main reason why Omaha is open to a lot of semi-bluffs as well.
Of course, the more you learn about the game and the more experience you start to accumulate under your belt, the easier it would be for you to identify the most appropriate situations in which you can bluff successfully. But be warned: as much fun as it is to bluff, you want to use this tactic sparingly or your opponents will know you're a poker fish, take advantage of the fact, and also assume you are almost always bluffing.
Who Plays Omaha?
This is a very fast-paced and extremely versatile and interesting game. The truth is that the quick action and significant range of winning hands attract more advanced poker strategists and aggressive players who are willing to take bigger risks. But if you're a poker shark or even if you simply enjoy strategy games, you could bring the necessary edge to the Omaha poker table to be incredibly profitable.
