Omaha is a popular poker game that you’ll find in most casinos. The game was invented by Bob Ciaffone and first published in 1962 in Card Player Magazine. In Omaha Hi/Lo, players must also use two-hole cards but the highest hand wins half the pot while the lowest hand wins half the pot!
How To Play Omaha
Omaha is a game played with four cards, instead of the usual hand of five. It has two hole cards instead of one and a betting round after the first three cards are dealt.
In Omaha, there are four rounds of betting: pre-flop; flop; turn (fourth street); river (fifth street).
Step 1 – Determine Your Starting Hand
In 5 card Omaha, you must use two of your hole cards and three community cards to make up your five-card hand. If you have two or more pairs in your hand, it doesn’t matter which pair(s) you use; both will count as having been used when determining who wins the pot.
If there are no more community cards left after everyone has checked their hole cards and bet if they want (or folded), then whoever has the best poker hand wins all money in play during that round of betting.
Step 2 – Place An Ante
Now that you know the basics, time to get into the real game! The first thing you’ll do is place an ante. This is a predetermined amount put into the pot before cards are dealt. It’s not part of your hand, but it is part of your bet.
The other players have already placed their antes, so now it’s time for them to deal themselves five cards each (everyone gets one card face down and four more face up).
Step 3 – Deal The First Three Hole Cards
Deal three cards face down, then one card faces up. The dealer will deal all players five cards in total, with each player receiving three of them face-down and two of them face-up (in other words: two down, one up).
Step 4 – Determine Who Bets First
The player with the highest card showing goes first. If two players have a pair of Aces and one player has an Ace-9 while the other has an Ace-8, then the player with an Ace-9 will go first.
If there is no high card showing (i.e., everyone has a different low pair), then whoever is closest to the dealer’s left goes first; if two players are next to each other and both want to bet, then whoever was dealt their cards first goes first.
Step 5 – Players Must Make At Least One Raise In This Step If They Can And Want To Do So
Finally, the last step of 5 card Omaha is for players to make their final bets. This is where you have the chance to win or lose all of your chips, so be careful!
