Omaha Poker Rules

Omaha Poker, a variation of Texas Holdem, is perhaps the next most popular poker game played in poker rooms online and in taverns and gambling houses throughout the world. I have been appointed to cover Omaha Poker rules as well as rules for two popular variations of the game: Omaha High Poker and Omaha High/Low Poker. I advise all players to read the rules in effect at the poker room where you play; the house rules may differ slightly from those found on this page. Better to be safe than sorry.

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Omaha High Poker Rules

Other than the number of Down Cards that are initially dealt to each player (4 in a game of Omaha High Poker vs. 2 in a game of Texas Holdem), Omaha High Poker follows the same rules as Texas Holdem. Five cards of the total of Hole and Community cards (two Hole cards and 3 Community cards) are used for deciding the winning hands. It is also a good idea to read the rules at the poker room where you are playing, as the rules may differ slightly.

Omaha High/Low Poker Rules

Omaha High/Low Poker follows the same rules as for Omaha High Poker, except that there are special rules after the final round of betting, called the "Showdown".

Omaha Poker - The Showdown

The best high hand automatically wins half of the pot called the "High" side (it could also win the whole pot - see below). To win the "Low" side of the pot, however, a player must qualify (which is why the game is sometimes called "Omaha 8 or Better"). It takes a 5-card hand with different numerical values from Ace through eight (Ace being the lowest) to qualify for the "Low" half of the pot. The best "Low" hand is A, 2, 3, 4, 5 (also known as the "wheel" or "bicycle"). The winning "Low" hand goes to the player with the lowest high card. For example, a player with a 2,3,5,6,7 would have a better "Low" hand than someone with an A,2,4,5,8. If two or more players have the same high card, the player with the second lowest card in his hand wins the low side of the pot. Straights and flushes do NOT count against a player on the "Low" side. A player is permitted to use different (or the same) cards in his hand for the "High" side for the "Low" side.

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Omaha Poker Game Limits

Most poker rooms in our directory offer two types of Omaha Poker games:

1) Limit Omaha (there is a specific betting limit applied in each game and on each round of betting),

2) Pot Limit Omaha - a player can bet what is in the pot.

For the minimum and maximum eligible raises in effect for your poker games, refer to the rules at each poker room.