Omaha Hi
What Is Omaha Hi?
Omaha Hi looks almost identical to Texas Hold’em — there is a flop, a turn, and a river — but with one game-changing rule. Each player receives FOUR hole cards instead of two. And critically, you MUST use exactly two of your four hole cards combined with exactly three of the five community cards to make your hand. No more, no less. This one rule creates far bigger hands, more action, and a completely different strategy than Hold’em.
What You Need
- One standard deck of 52 playing cards
- Two to ten players
- Poker chips
The Critical Rule — Two and Three
In Omaha, you MUST use exactly 2 of your 4 hole cards and exactly 3 of the 5 community cards. This is different from Hold’em where you can use any combination. Example: if the five community cards are all Spades and you hold one Spade in your hand, you do NOT have a flush — you can only use 3 community cards, and you need 2 hole cards to complete your hand, meaning you need at least 2 Spades in your hand for a flush.
Setting Up the Game
- Post blinds — the player to the dealer’s left posts the small blind, the next player posts the big blind (usually double the small blind). These forced bets seed the pot.
- Deal FOUR cards face-down to each player. Players look at their four hole cards.
How to Play — Step by Step
Pre-Flop Betting
Starting with the player to the left of the big blind and going clockwise, each player may fold, call the big blind, or raise. Betting continues until everyone has put in equal amounts or folded.
The Flop
The dealer burns one card (sets it aside unused) and deals three cards face-up to the center of the table. These three cards are available to all players. Another round of betting — the first active player left of the dealer may check or bet.
The Turn
The dealer burns one card and deals one more face-up community card — four showing now. Another betting round.
The River
The dealer burns one card and deals the fifth and final community card face-up. The last betting round.
The Showdown
Players remaining reveal their four hole cards. Each player selects exactly 2 of their 4 hole cards and exactly 3 of the 5 community cards to form their best five-card hand. The best hand wins.
Winning
Best five-card hand at showdown wins the pot. Or be the last player not to fold.
Tips for New Players
- Hands get much bigger in Omaha — straights and flushes lose far more often than in Hold’em because everyone has four hole cards to work with. Always ask: what is the best possible hand given these community cards?
- Four hole cards means six possible two-card combinations from your hand. Think through all six before deciding how strong your hand is.
- Nut hands — the absolute best possible hand given the board — are essential in Omaha. Second-best hands lose big money.