Poker is a game that offers several different variations. Within these variations, there are even more ways to play them courtesy of the different formats available in the game. However, two games that stand out from every other are Texas Hold ’em and Omaha. The ‘No-limit’ format being the more popular one for Texas Hold ’em while the ‘Pot-limit’ format being the more widely played format for Omaha.
As beginners, you are always advised to learn Texas Hold ’em. This is simply because Texas Hold ’em will give you a complete experience of what to expect in poker. Hold ’em games are designed to introduce the table’s nuances to a beginner. From betting strategies to blinds and even poker hands, you learn it all.
Learning how to play Omaha poker will not be a challenge for you if you’ve already learned Texas Hold ’em and have sufficient practice with it. Omaha and Hold ’em share stark similarities between each other. The only major difference between both popular variants is that you are dealt with two additional hole cards in Omaha. With that being established, let us quickly go over Omaha’s structure so you can learn the game within no time at all.
Betting Rounds: What Makes Omaha Unique
Much like Texas Hold ’em, in Omaha Poker as well, you have the pre-flop, flop, turn, river, and showdown. Across each street, you are given more and more cards at your disposal to pick then and choose from to form your ultimate five-card poker hand to win the pot. In the pre-flop, you are dealt with four-hole cards instead of two - that is the biggest difference between Omaha and Hold ’em. After this, the blinds are posted, and the betting round begins.
The flop sees three community cards being shown at the table, followed by another round of betting. The turn and river each visit a new community card revealed, and thus you have a total of nine cards to make your best five-card poker hand. Here, the condition is that you must use no more than two of your hole cards and three of the available community cards to build your hand. The one with the best combination wins the showdown to take the pot.
Blinds and Poker Hands
In Omaha games, you have the big and small blind much like Texas Hold ’em. Here too, the blinds, just like other table positions, shift in a clockwise direction from the dealer’s left to ensure fairness. The big blind is almost always double the amount of the small blind. Poker hands are the same ten versions seen in Hold ’em games as well. You have the Royal Flush, Straight Flush, Four of a Kind, Full House, Flush, Straight, Three of a Kind, Two Pair, Pair, and High Card ranked from most to least significant.
Inference
Despite the similarities between Omaha and Hold ’em, Omaha is tougher to master. The wider range of cards creates multiple unique scenarios and possibilities where your Hold ’em calculations may be misleading. If you spend enough time learning the strategies of Omaha, you could learn to play it well.