Omaha is identical to Texas Hold’em except for two important differences:
- players are dealt four hole cards instead of two
- players must use exactly two of their hole cards – no more, no less - (with three community cards) to make a five-card hand.
The second difference in Omaha can cause all sorts of trouble to new Omaha players simply because
they forget it! Certain combinations of hole cards and community cards can often cause a new Omaha player to forget that he must use exactly two of his hole cards, and this can be costly. See
Danger Hands for New Omaha Players for a few examples of what to look out for.
Strong Winning Hands
The most radical difference between Omaha and Texas Hold’em is the relative strength of common winning hands. Put simply, in Omaha you need a much stronger hand to win than in Texas Hold’em.
This is because in Omaha you make your winning hand from a combination of nine available cards, whereas in Texas Hold’em you may choose from just seven available cards. More combinations = more good hands.
This means that hands such as top two-pairs or bottom set, which win a considerable amount of the time in Texas Hold’em, will often end up being beaten in Omaha.
“If it’s possible, it’s probable”
In Omaha it is prudent to make a general assumption about the quality of hands you are up against: if it’s possible, it’s probable. The nature of this game is such that if the board cards allow for the possibility of a straight then the likelihood is that someone has it. This is very different from Texas Hold’em, where it is rarely the best possible hand that wins, but usually something mush weaker.
For example: in Texas Hold’em when the flop comes: J-9-7 you needn’t assume that one of your opponents will have made a straight; more often than not no-one will have. If you hold A-J you’re quite possibly winning at this point. In Omaha however you would need much better. While it is no certainty that someone has already made a straight with T-8, the probability is such that if you do not have a draw to the best hand you should proceed with extreme caution, folding to any bet.
Draws
Here’s where the difference between Omaha and Hold’em is perhaps the most pronounced. In Hold’em a player on a straight draw is usually hoping to catch, at most, one of 8 cards. A player with a straight and a flush draw may be lucky enough to be drawing to 15 outs, but that is about as good as it gets. In Omaha however a player on a straight draw can have as many as twenty outs (see below) giving him a 70 percent chance of making it by the river. And with a hand like Jh-Th-9s-8s a player can be drawing to two a flush in two different suits as well as a 20 outer straight! Remember: in Hold’em it is very rare that a player on a draw will be a favourite in a hand; in Omaha it happens all the time.
This demands some important considerations: Firstly you should be very cautious when connected cards hit the board on the flop unless you have the possibility of making a straight. The chances are someone already has one, or they’re not far away from making one.
Secondly even if you make a hand like a straight on the flop you should be aware that whilst you may have the nuts you can easily be outdrawn and you might even be an underdog to win the hand. (For example: if you have Jd-Td-3d-2d and the flop comes 9c-8c-7s-6s you could easily be up against two ace high flush draws, two straight flush draws, and draws to full houses. If any club, heart, 9, 8, 7 or 6 hits the board you will most likely lose the hand.)
Thirdly this means that starting hands such as 9-8-7-6 are very strong (whereas their counterparts in Hold’em, such as 9-8, are pretty weak).
Pot Limit
Omaha is usually played as a pot-limit game in both tournaments and cash games.
In pot-limit a player’s raise is restricted by the size of the pot. This means that if there has been no bet in front of him a player may raise no more than the amount already in the pot.
However this is complicated when there has been a bet or a raise earlier in the betting round. In such cases you calculate the maximum allowable bet by adding the previous bet and the cost of calling that bet to the existing pot. Maximum allowable raise = pot + bet + any calls + cost of calling bet.
Now in online poker rooms this calculation will be done for you so it will be quite clear how much you can raise, but nevertheless the examples below may help you in live card rooms, and it is good to have an understanding of the calculation anyway.
Let’s say the flop has just been dealt and there is $24 in the pot. Player A checks from first position, player B bets the maximum ($24), players C and D fold, and you are next to go from the button. To find out the maximum allowable raise you must add player B’s bet ($24) to the cost of calling that bet ($24) and add that total to the pot ($24). That makes $72. So you may now call $24 and raise $72 making the pot $144.
If a bet has been called before it gets round to you then that is also added to the value of the pot you can raise. So if players C and D had called player B’s bet in the example above your calculation would be as follows: pot ($24) + bet ($24) plus calls ($24 + $24) + plus cost of calling ($24) = $120. So in this case you could call $24 and raise $120.
Example Hand: Five handed $1-$2 pot limit Omaha
| Button |
Player A ($200) |
Ah-Kh-Td-Tc |
| Small Blind ($1) |
Player B ($450) |
Ts-9h-8d-7s |
| Big Blind ($2) |
Player C ($150) |
4h-4c-Ad-8c |
|
Player D ($200) |
Kd-Ks-9s-9c |
|
Player E ($325) |
Ac-2c-As-4s |
The action begins with Player D (immediate left of the BB). He has a fairly good hand but is under the gun with four players to act behind him so he just calls the big blind ($2). There is now $5 in the pot.
Player E has a two suited aces in his hand, giving him top pair and good chance of a nut flush. He calls the big blind ($2) and raises the pot ($7). The pot is now $12.
Player A has a pair of tens, a chance of the nut heart flush and a chance of the nut straight. He makes the $9 call. There is now $21 in the pot.
Player B has an average strength hand. He has a great chance of making a straight but if any pairs or flush cards hit the board he will probably fold. He puts in the additional $8 to call. The pot is now $29.
Despite being on the big blind Player C folds. His hand is quite weak with just a low pair and no straight or flush draws.
With his pair of kings and pair of nines Player D calls the additional $7. The pot is now $36.
FLOP: Qs-9c-8s
Player B is the first to act. He has flopped two pair, a straight draw and a low flush draw but realises this is a vulnerable hand to have in first position and checks.
Player D has hit middle set (three nines) and also has a draw to the second nut spade flush. This is not an immensely strong hand in Omaha but he likes it and decides to raise half the pot ($18). The pot is now $54.
Player E still has a pair of aces and now he has a draw to the nut spade flush; he decides to call the $18 raise. The pot is now $72.
Player A realises he must be well beaten. Only a red jack will give him the best hand and even then he could still be outdrawn on the river. He folds.
Player B knows he should probably fold but with a large stack of chips and a number of outs (along with his straight and flush draws any 9 or 8 will give him a full house) he decides to call. The pot is now $90.
THE TURN: Kc
This card is now good for Player B. He checks.
Player D now has one of those dangerous looking Omaha hands. It can look at first glance like he has a full house, but in fact he only has a set of kings. Nevertheless he thinks he probably has the best hand and decides to bet – he doesn’t want anyone getting a free club for a flush. He bets the maximum allowed ($90). The pot is now $180.
Player E has now got two draws to the nut flush. Any club or any spade which doesn’t pair the board will give him an unbeatable hand. But with only a pair of aces made at the moment he just calls the bet. The pot is now $270.
Player B folds his hand immediately. He doesn’t like his two pair and he knows his low spade draw is probably dead anyway. There’s no value in calling for his straight or full house draw.
THE RIVER: 3s
Player D doesn’t like this card. It makes him a king high flush but he’s scared of the ace flush and checks, hoping Player E will check behind him.
But Player E has now made his nut flush and is in no mood for charity. He goes all-in for his remaining $213 hoping Player D will call.
Sure enough Player D makes a crying call. He only has $83 left and the pot is now worth $483 – too tempting to turn down. He is hoping Player E has made a lower flush and is trying to represent the ace.
The cards are turned over and Player E’s ace high flush (As-Qs-8s-4s-3s) is revealed as the best hand. Player D bangs the table in frustration. His best hand (Ks-Qs-9s-8s-3s) is just pipped to the pot, but he realises he was ahead right up until the river card. Player E wins the $566 pot and valiantly tries to suppress a victorious grin.