While many players get their start in online poker playing Texas holds ’em, online Omaha is another great way to get your virtual poker feet wet. Omaha has many of the elements of Texas hold’em, but some additional challenges as well.

Playing Omaha

In Omaha, each player gets four cards and must make his best five-card hand using exactly two of the four cards plus three and only three of five community cards that go in the middle. Players who are not coming to the game from Texas hold’em may have a slight advantage here, as hold’em players are used to being able to use four or even all five cards on the board to make their hand.

Playing Omaha Online

Online will be a good place to start playing Omaha since it will probably be easier to get a game of Omaha on the Internet than in a live casino. Omaha is still not nearly as popular as hold’em, so many more hold’em

Games are Spread over Omaha Games

In a live casino, you are likely to find only one or two Omaha tables if you are lucky. Online play gives you many more Omaha options. In addition, if you like, you can start with playing money Omaha games, allowing you to practice reading hands and betting without putting funds at risk.

Types of Online Omaha.

There are two main types of Omaha and two main betting structures. In regular Omaha, the best hand wins the pot. In Omaha hi/lo, the best hand splits the pot with the worst hand. Straights and flushes do not count against the low so the best low hand is A 2 3 4 5. In Omaha hi/lo, the low hand must be no higher than eight low to count.

This means if the board does not have three different cards that are eight or lower, there can be no low hand. Omaha is usually played in limit form, with fixed bets on each street, or in pot limit form, in which players can bet the size of the pot at any time. Pot limit Omaha is usually played all high, while Omaha hi/lo more commonly has the fixed limit structure.