Shoppegol2

Omaha hi lo poker odds calculator Up to 30 free spins on Hall of the Mountain King Slot 35X Wagering requirements Min. This site has been authorized by the State of New Jersey, Division of Gaming Enforcement in accordance with the Casino Control Act for use by registered users 21 years or older and physically present in the state of New Jersey Casino is a 1995 American epic crime film directed.

Table Of Contents

What is Omaha Poker?

Omaha poker is one of the most popular poker variants. For many poker players who start out learning how to play Texas hold'em, Omaha is often the next game they learn to play, in part because Omaha poker is somewhat similar to hold'em in the way the game is played.

There are different types of Omaha poker games, the two most popular being pot-limit Omaha (which we are focusing on here) and Omaha hi-lo. You can read about Omaha hi-lo poker rules here.

If you know the rules for Texas hold'em, you are more than halfway to knowing how to play Omaha poker. However, let's first sort out how the two games are different.

What is the difference between Omaha and Texas hold'em?

Like hold'em, Omaha is a 'flop' game that uses community cards. Just like in hold'em, players are dealt their own hands face down — their 'hole cards' — and use those cards in combination with the five community cards (the flop, turn, and river) to make five-card poker hands.

However, there is one big difference between Omaha and hold'em. Whereas in hold'em players are each dealt two hole cards, in Omaha they are dealt four hole cards. From those four cards, players must choose two of their hole cards to go along with three of the five community cards in order to make their five-card poker hands.

Note how that also marks an important difference between Omaha game rules and hold'em. In Omaha, players must use exactly two of their hole cards and three of the community cards to build a poker hand. That's different from hold'em where players can use both of their hole cards (and three community cards), just one hole card (and four community cards), or no hole cards (and all five community cards, which is called 'playing the board').

In pot-limit Omaha, the hand rankings are just the same as in Texas hold'em. Like hold'em, pot-limit Omaha or 'PLO' is played as a 'high-hand' game, which means the hands go (from best to worst): royal flush, straight flush, four of a kind, full house, flush, straight, three of a kind, two pair, one pair, high-card.

How To Play Omaha Poker

Beginning players who have only been introduced to Omaha poker rules often make mistakes when it comes to building five-card hands, forgetting the rule about it being mandatory to use two of the four hole cards along with three community cards to make a hand.

For example, a new player holding A♥Q♣7♦6♦ might look at a board of 9♥4♥2♣J♥Q♥ and think he has made the nuts with an ace-high flush.

The problem is, you cannot make a hand using only one hole card (in this case the A♥) and four community cards (the four hearts on the board). In fact, this player only has a pair of queens, not a flush at all. Meanwhile any player with two hearts would have a flush, which means the player should certainly fold this weak hand to any bets on the river.

Betting in Omaha poker works exactly like it does in Texas hold'em, with a small and big blind as well as a rotating button, and four betting rounds following each round of dealing — preflop, flop, turn, river. See 'How to Play Texas Hold'em Poker' for an overview of how the game is dealt and the order of play during the betting rounds.

Hand values in Texas hold'em versus Omaha poker

Pot-limit Omaha (or 'Omaha high') is known as an 'action game' which is one reason why it is popular among high-stakes players. Since players start with four hole cards in Omaha instead of two, they can make a much wider range of hands. For that reason, hand values tend to be higher in Omaha than in hold'em, with players making 'the nuts' or the highest possible hand much more frequently.

If you think about it, in PLO players aren't dealt just a single two-card combination (as in hold'em), but six different two-card combinations (among the four hole cards) from which to choose the best hand. It isn't surprising, then, that players tend to make much better hands at showdown in Omaha poker.

In Texas hold'em making two pair or three of a kind can be a very strong hand, but in Omaha there will often be better hands out there to beat those holdings.

For example, say you have been dealt 10♠9♠8♥7♥ and by the river the board is 7♠9♥K♥J♣2♦. Using the ten and eight in your hand along with three community cards, you have a jack-high straight. The problem is any opponent holding Qx10xXxXx would complete a higher, king-high straight and defeat you — and if the betting gets heavy on the river, that's probably exactly what is happening.

Another example would be holding J♠J♣9♠9♥ on a board of 9♦K♠Q♥5♦3♦. Yes, you have a set of nines, which would be a nice holding in Texas hold'em, but in Omaha poker there are several hands that could defeat you here. Anyone with KxKxXxXx or QxQxXxXx would have a higher set, and an opponent with Jx10xXxXx would have made a straight. There is also a flush possibility, meaning anyone with X♦X♦XxXx (two diamonds) would make a flush.

Due to the nature of so many better hands, an opponent may just be calling your bets with a set of kings or queens as they may fear a straight or flush, so even if you are not facing any immediate aggression, you could still be beaten so proceed with caution.

Omaha Poker Rules

Another factor to consider when it comes to Omaha rules when playing the most popular pot-limit Omaha version of the game is the pot-limit betting format, which is another way PLO can play differently than no-limit hold'em.

Like in hold'em, the minimum bet allowed in Omaha is always the equivalent of the big blind. For example, if the game is $1/$2 PLO, the minimum a player can bet would be $2. However, while in no-limit hold'em a player can always bet all of his or her chips at any point, in Omaha the maximum bet allowed is the size of the pot.

Calculating what exactly is a 'pot-sized' bet can be trickier than it might seem at first glance. If the pot is $10 and a player is first to act, $10 is the maximum bet that player can make — simple enough. However, if there has already been a bet and a player wishes to 'raise pot,' that gets a little tricky.

Say there is $10 in the pot and a player bets $5, then the next player wants to 'raise pot.' The most that player can bet would be $25, a total calculated by adding the $5 to call plus the $20 that would be in the pot after the call ($5 + $20 = $25).

In fact, preflop the blinds are considered forced bets, so once again a bit of math has to be done in order to figure out how much a player can raise even when acting first. In a $1/$2 PLO game, the maximum a player can open-raise is $7, the total coming from adding $2 or the equivalent of the big blind to $5 or the size of the pot after calling the big blind ($2 + $5 = $7).

When playing in a casino, the dealer will take care of the math for you should you announce you wish to bet the pot. Meanwhile, when playing online poker the calculations are automatically made right on the screen.

Omaha Hi Lo Poker Sites

Other Omaha Poker Tips

Just like in hold'em, position is an important element in Omaha. Many consider it to be even more important, both because of the pot-limit betting format and because of all the possible combinations a player can make with an Omaha hand. When sitting in position, you can follow the actions of your opponents and make your decisions based on the information you received. When out of position, it is much harder to make the correct decisions because you are dealing with incomplete information more often.

Another benefit of being in position is that you have a better chance of controlling the size of the pot, which is often based on the strength of your hand and your overall goal in the pot. Being out of position to one or more opponents gives them the ability to control the pot size and also capitalize on the added information of knowing your actions first.

Because Omaha is so focused on the nuts, it might seem like bluffing plays an important role in the game. A player can represent a wider range of hands in Omaha, and also open up with a bit more with so many more semi-bluffs available. In fact, experienced Omaha players will often bet big draws heavily on the flop, since in some cases those draws are actually mathematical favorites versus made hands.

All of which is to say players do bluff in pot-limit Omaha, but with so many possible hands out there you have to be judicious when deciding when it is best to bluff. The more you learn about the game, the easier it will become to pick up on these spots and determine how to proceed against various opponents.

Relatedly, blockers also become much more prevalent in Omaha than in Texas hold'em. Blockers are those cards you hold in your hand that prevent an opponent from making a specific hand.

For example, if a board reads K♠10♠5♥2♠4♦ and you hold the A♠ in your hand but no other spades, you may not have a flush, but you know your opponent cannot make the nut flush. This gives you added power in the hand being able to push your opponent off certain hands as your opponent is guaranteed to not contain the nuts.

Conclusion

Omaha poker is a game of action, but it can also be a game of big swings. Many players first learn Texas hold'em before taking up learning the rules of Omaha. Having a good knowledge of fundamentals in Texas hold'em helps a lot when making the transition into Omaha.

If you've ever been sky-diving and got that heart-in-your-mouth feeling, you'll know what it's like to play Omaha Hi (Pot Limit Omaha/PLO)! This game has big pots, big hands at showdown and even bigger draws. Sammy Farha's famous quote, 'Let's gamble…', sums up this poker genre quite nicely.

But before you pick up your roll and dump it on the nearest open table at 888poker, you should get familiar with the rules and some Omaha poker strategy. Making hands is all well and good, but winning with those hands is a completely different kettle of fish.

Let's get started!

Omaha Poker Strategy – The Main Components

Firstly, in Omaha poker each player gets 4 starting cards. If you think that makes for a game with bigger swings, you've hit the nail on the head. This fact also means that the average winning hand in Omaha is much stronger than in Hold'em.

Here's why: Each hand is made up of 6 two-card hand combinations instead of only one as in Hold’em. It's easier to see this if we give each card a letter. There are A-B, A-C, A-D, B-C, B-D and C-D combinations with 4 hole cards on Omaha. With 2 starting cards, in Hold'em, the combination is just A-B.

The number of hand combinations is is also a big reason why getting down to the nuts and bolts strategy of the game is so important. The way hands are put together can get mind-boggling. The following Pot-Limit Omaha Poker Tips are designed to make things clearer and give you the right tools to enjoying the game while taking down pots.

1. Starting Hands

One of the biggest leaks in a Pot Limit Omaha player's game is overvaluing starting hands – especially hands like K-K-x-x. Big pocket pairs in Omaha-Hi are a lot weaker than in Hold'em. On the Hold'em list of best starting hands, Pocket Kings rank second.

Have a quick look at the list below of best hands in PLO and you might be in for a big surprise. Yep, the Cowboys rank a mere eighth – and they're double-suited with Q-Q kickers.

In truth, Omaha is a drawing game and a lone pair of Aces just won't cut it...

Take a look at this Top Ten list of Best Starting Hands:

1. A A K K - Double-suited
2. A A J 10 - Double-suited
3. A A Q Q - Double-suited
4. A A J J - Double-suited
5. A A 10 10 - Double-suited
6. A A 9 9 - Double-suited
7. J 10 9 8 - Double-suited
8. K K Q Q - Double-suited
9. K Q J 10 - Double-suited
10. K K J J - Double-suited

Now many PLO diehard fans can't fold Aces under any circumstances. They'll pretty much play them from any position – and to the river, regardless of the consequences. However, not all Aces are created equal. Yes, Aces are a big hand in most forms of poker, including Omaha. But you should look for Aces that pair those bullets with cards that can make straights or flushes. That way, if you don't hit a set, you can still draw to a winning hand.

Keep in mind that, more than likely, your opponents will be drawing. So, if you find yourself in a multi-way pot on a board that reads, 10s-9d-6h-4c and all you have are Aces, you might consider folding.

2. Drawing Hands

The golden rule for drawing in PLO is the more opponents in a hand, the more you should be drawing to the absolute nuts.

In Hold’em you get two basic draws, flushes and straights. In Omaha you have the same draws but, because each player gets 4 cards to choose from, the number of flushes and straights runs rampant. You can throw the standard 9-out flush draws and 8-out straight draws out the window.

Say, for example, you have a starting hand like 9s-8d-7s-6d. The flop comes down 5d-3d-6h. In Hold'em, if you had a hand like 8d-7d, you'd have 8 outs to make your straight and another 7 (not included in the straight outs) to make the flush. That makes for a total of 15 drawing outs.

In PLO, you have any 4,7,8 or 9 to make the straight. Your straight outs are; 4 x Fours, 3 x Sevens, 3 x Eights and 3 x Nines, totalling 13 altogether. You also have another 6 cards (not included in the straight outs) to make the flush. That gives you a grand total of 19 drawing outs!

Now, this is where it can get a little dicey. In multi-way pots, your flush is more than likely dead. Someone has the better draw. Also, if a 7 turns and then an 8 falls on the river, your straight could be beat by a better hand. In this case, 10-9.

However, this drawing hand is pretty strong, once you've made the straight. You just have to be wary of bigger flush draws and cards than can counterfeit a made straight.

Poker Calculator Omaha Hi Login

3. Wraps

As you've already seen, drawing hands in PLO rule the game. In fact, it's practically complete domination! Special draws, called “wraps” are what Omaha-Hi players live (and die!) for.

So what exactly are “wrap hands”?

Let's look at an example. A starting hand like 10-9-6-5 on a flop, 8-7-3 rainbow has a lot more outs than the common Hold'em straight draw. There are, in fact, 20 cards that can make this player one happy camper!

Take a look:

• 4 x Fours, equalling 4 outs would give the player an 8-high straight
• 3 x Fives, equalling 3 outs would give the player a 9-high straight
• 3 x Sixes, equalling 4 outs would give the player a 10-high straight
• 3 x Nines, equalling 4 outs would give the player a 10-high straight
• 3 x Tens, equalling 4 outs would give the player a 10-high straight
• 3 x Jacks, equalling 4 outs would give the player a Jack-high straight

So a wrap simply means that a player has a straight that is “wrapped around” at both ends. Many wrap hands have fewer outs than our previous example. However, they can still be very strong, especially when up against a single pair, or even a two pair.

Below are some sample starting wrap hands and their possible number of outs.

Bear in mind, that when a flush draw is possible, you need to be wary drawing to straights. In multi-way pots on a flushed board, there will be someone in the hand with that draw.

Also, drawing to the top-end of a straight is best. You need to be very careful when playing small wrap draw hands like 5-6-7-8. A turned 7-high nut-straight could quickly evaporate on the river if a 9 or 10 falls.

4. Playing Big Pairs

Ever had your Aces cracked in a No Limit Hold'em game? Well, get prepared to have them cracked routinely in PLO. Pocket Pairs, even Aces and Kings, are often reduced to dust in Omaha. With 4 starting cards and the multiple straight and flush draw combinations they allow for, there are so many ways Big Pairs can get beat.

However, there are ways to play your Big Pockets and win. Firstly, you need to start with premium big cards. Your Aces should be double-suited (for nut-flush draws) and/ or paired with other big cards (like K-Q-J-10 for Broadway draws). These kickers will serve as a back-up, if you don't flop a set or the big full.

• Pre-flop Play

  Still Aces are Aces and have a place in PLO. With strong Aces, you should almost always raise or 3bet. You want to get value for your hand while getting some of the truly junky hands out of the pot. If you flop a strong draw, bang it. Hopefully, your opponent will be on the same flush draw, only you'll be drawing to the nuts!

  With weaker Aces, out of position, you can limp or call a small raise. If you flop a set, your opponents will be caught off guard. If there's a lot of action pre-flop, you might even fold a hand like Ad-Ac-7s-2h. In all likelihood, the remaining 2 Aces in the deck are dead. Unless you flop one, your hand is probably dead too!

• Post-flop Strategy

  Any flop that is draw-heavy – and you don't have a piece of it with your Big Pair – should be treated with kid gloves. If you were the raiser, you don't always have to c-bet and build a big pot for the draws in the hand. This play is so unlike Hold'em strategy. In multi-way pots, it's more than likely that, on a board reading 8-7-3, someone has a 10-9 or a 6-5 in their hand.

  Still you have to wary. PLO players can be cunning folk! If you suspect that an opponent has an over-pair, just like you, on a board like the one above - take them on. A check-raise might result in a fold quicker than you can say, Jack Robinson!

When all is said and done, PLO is a game of draws. If your premium Big Pairs don't flop a draw, you should probably fold, check-fold or run for the door...

5. Using Your Position in PLO

When playing PLO, you can use your position in 2 key ways, to build a pot and to control a pot. By mastering both skills, you'll be able to build up your bankroll while controlling the swings.

• Building a Pot

  When you flop that almighty 20-out wrap draw, you'll want to get as many of your chips into the pot as possible. You are crushing almost any hand at that stage and the more money you can get into the pot, the better.

  
  

  If you're out of position and up against a trigger-happy bettor, use the check-raise. When you're in position with a big draw and facing a bet, a delicious pot-raise is oh-so-tasty.

Omaha Hi Lo Poker Strategy

• Controlling a Pot

  It's much easier to control the size of a pot when you're in position. On draw-heavy boards, your early position opponent is looking to check-raise you. Don't fall for it. Take that turn card for free and see if your hand improves (or theirs doesn't improve). Turn your Set and you're off to the races. Their draw is furlongs behind and running out of steam.

  
  

  Out-of-position play can be a little trickier. On a dry board, there's no need to come out betting pot. However, you should still want to send the message that, “I know I've got you beat”. Some players will call with middle pair, or even 3 cards to a draw, hoping to turn something special.

  
  

  Beware of these passive runner-runner addicts. They can (and will) take your whole stack with a silly bottom Two Pair on the river. They probably won't fold to your bet, but they won't raise either. If they don't make a second pair, you'll get paid off. If they do make a weak Two Pair, they won't bet it, and you won't lose any more chips.