The rule that defines Omaha
How do you play Omaha poker? The essential rule is that your final hand must use exactly two of your four private cards and exactly three of the five community cards. Those five cards make your poker hand. You cannot use one, three or four private cards, even if doing so seems to create a stronger combination.
That rule changes how you evaluate your cards. For example, being dealt four aces does not give you four of a kind: you may use only two of them, together with three community cards. Omaha follows a street-by-street sequence similar to Texas Hold’em, but players receive four private cards and must follow a different hand-building rule.
How a hand unfolds
A hand begins with the blinds, forced bets posted by the two players to the left of the button. Each player receives four private cards, followed by the pre-flop betting round. Players decide whether to stay in by calling, raise when permitted, or fold. Action begins to the left of the big blind.
After the pre-flop round, the dealer reveals three community cards, called the flop, and another betting round takes place. A fourth card, the turn, is revealed before a further round; then the fifth card, the river, is dealt, followed by the final betting round. If more than one player remains, there is a showdown. Each player makes the best five-card hand possible using exactly two private cards and three community cards. The best hand wins the pot; if hands tie, the pot is divided according to the table rules.
Betting in Pot-Limit Omaha
The most common format is Pot-Limit Omaha, or PLO. The maximum permitted bet is capped by the size of the pot, unlike in a no-limit structure. Before acting, check the amount you must call and the pot size; the maximum amount for a bet or raise also depends on the wager you need to call. The table’s rules determine the precise calculation.
Omaha is also played in other formats, including games with five or six cards and Hi-Lo variants. Do not assume that betting rules or pot division are identical across formats: check which version and limits are in use before playing.
An example and common mistakes
Suppose your private cards are A♠ A♥ 7♣ 2♦ and the board is A♦ K♣ 9♥ 5♠ 3♣. You cannot use all three aces visible between your hand and the board to make three of a kind. Your best hand must contain exactly two private cards and three from the board; here, you can use A♠ A♥ with K♣ 9♥ 5♠ to make a pair of aces. The example shows why you must select only the permitted cards rather than count every visible card.
Before each decision, check the previous action, how much you need to call, and what five-card hand you could make by the river. If playing for money, do so only if you meet the legal age requirement; the cited source notes that wagering is for people aged 18 or older.