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Poker Lessons
Other Games – Omaha HighRulesEach player is dealt four cards face down. These also called “the hole cards” and only you can see them. After the cards are dealt there is a first round of betting known as the ”pre-flop betting round”. Next, three cards are dealt face up on the board. These three cards are called “the flop”. After another round of betting, a 4th card, “the turn”, is dealt face up on the board and there is another round of betting. Then a 5th card, “the river”, is dealt. A final round of betting follows “the river”. At this point, all remaining players reveal their “hole cards”. Each player must choose only two of his hole cards and combine them with only three of the board cards, to form a 5-card poker hand. The player with the best poker hand wins. As apposed to Texas Hold'em, the players cannot choose how many cards they want to use from their hole card. They must use exactly two cards and not three or one. For example; if a player has AA96 in the hole, and the board is KQJT6, the best hand he can make is AAKQJ, or a pair of Aces. If a player has AQJ2 in his hand and the board is 777AQ, the best hand he can form is 777AQ, or three of a kind 7's. He cannot pair his Ace or Queen with the board without destroying the trip 7's he has. Cards to Play As a beginner, we recommend you to be very selective with your starting hands in Omaha. You are looking to start with four cards that work well together for high. Here are some good working hands to play in Omaha high: (A 
A
K
Q )
(A
K
K
Q )
(A
K
Q
Q )
(K
Q
J
10 )
(Q
J
10
9 )
(J
10c
9
8 )
As you can see, all of these hands have flush and straight potential, and some have pairs for the possibility of making trips or a full house. When you play, look for flops that hit your hands, as you do in Hold’em. Having a good flop will probably make you stay all the way with the hand, betting your draw, accordingly. If you get a bad flop, you will have to decide if staying further is worthwhile. As a new Omaha player, you should note that winning hands in this game are usually higher than in Texas Hold'em, since players have 4 hole cards to choose from. Often times the best hand is a straight or flush. When a pair is showing on the board, a full house commonly wins. Of course, the number of players in the game affects the quality of the hands, but in general, hands are higher than in Texas Hold’em. Because the higher hands, it is important for Omaha beginners to simply recognize what the best possible hands are, meaning the nuts, for a given board. Having an unbeatable hand means that you can put in unlimited raises; otherwise, it is better to play carefully, even if there is only one card that can beat you. If you Practice reading the board and all hands when you aren’t involved in a pot, it will help you read your own hands when you are in a pot, and will help keep you from overlooking your hand. Practice Hands Suppose you have A
K
K
Q .
Which flop cards below would give you the best draw?
Three players are in this pot for a showdown on the river. Here is the board, K
J
9
9
J .
Read each five card hand. Now who is the winner?
Suppose you have A
A
K
Q .
Which of the following flop cards below would you prefer?
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