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Omaha Hold’em (known mostly as Omaha) is a poker variant that is gaining great popularity. The game play is somewhat similar to Texas Hold’em, but the slight variation does enough to make it a completely different poker experience.

Omaha is a poker variant with community cards and 4 rounds of betting. In Omaha there are usually 2 – 9 players at a table. Position, (where a player is sitting relative to the dealer button) is an essential part of this game because the order in which a player can act (bet, raise, call, fold) is fixed. At any given round, a player is the dealer (player with the button). This is the best position to be in because this player will always act last after the first round. To the left of this player is the small blind. This player has to place an initial bet before the start of any round. To the left of this person is the big blind, he too has to place an initial bet. The blind bets are determined based on what type of game is being played. For example, tournaments will have situations where the blinds will increase after a set time has passed.

After the button is given to the appropriate player and the blinds have posted their set bets, 4 hole cards are dealt to each player starting with the person to the left of the button.

After the 4 hole cards are dealt, players starting from the person who is on the left side of the big blind gets to act first. This player (and all other players) has the choice to either call the big blind, fold, or raise. The order the players get to act follow in a clockwise motion. After all the players have made their choice, the big blind will actually have a choice of checking if his initial posted bet was not raised.

When all players have acted, what comes next is three community cards called the flop. These cards are faced up and placed on the table. These cards are used by all players to make the best possible five card hand. After the flop hits the board, the players again go around with the opportunity to check (make no further bet), bet the minimum, raise, or fold. The player to the left of the button acts first. Then the order continues in a clockwise order.

After the flop turn has concluded comes the 4th card or the “turn.” When this card lands, players again get to act starting from the person left of the button again. When this round finishes, the fifth community card that is dealt is also known as the river. When this card hits the table, one more round of action occurs and if there are players still remaining, there is a “showdown.”

In Omaha a winner is a player who has the best five card poker hand at the “showdown” or the player who forces all his opponents to fold based on betting. The best 5 card hand is determined by a mixture of 2 of the 4 hole cards in a players hand and the community cards. (Note that a player must always use two cards. Similar to most poker variants, Omaha has the main objective of collecting as many pots as possible. In cash games, there are 2 – 9 players involved. In Omaha tournaments, multiple tables of 2- 9 players are allowed.

Unlike Texas Hold’em, a player must have at least two of the same suited cards to make a flush. For example, with a board of 4♠ 9♠ J♠ A♥ 5♠, a player holding A♠ 2♥ 4♥ 5♣ does not make a flush using with the ace; instead a player must use two cards from the 4 hole cards and only three from the board. A player with A♠ 3♠ K♦ J♦ can play the spade flush.

In Omaha, when there is a two pair in the community cards, a player cannot make a full house with his hole cards. For example, when the community cards are 7♠ J♦ 3♦ 3♥ 7♣, a player with a hand of 3♠ 2♠ J♥ 7♦ does not have a full house. This idea also applies when there is a 3 of a kind on the board. For example, if the community cards are showing A♠ J♦ A♦ A♥ K♣, a player with 9♠ 2♠ 3♥ K♦ does not have a full house, he only has three aces with an 9-king kicker, and will lose to a player with only a pair of deuces. This hand is quite frequently misread. (Naturally, a person with the fourth jack in his hand can make four jacks because any other card in his hand can act as the fifth card, or "kicker").

In high-low split, a player can now win with not just the best high hand but also the best low hand, (a low hand is any five cards that is 8 or lower). To qualify for low, a player must be able to play an 8-7-6-5-4 or lower (this is why it is called "eight-or-better", or simply "Omaha/8"). Each player can play any two of his four hole cards to make his high hand, and any two of his four hole cards to make his low hand. If there is no qualifying low hand, the high hand wins (scoops) the whole pot. Furthermore, it is also possible to have the best high and low hand to scoop the pot. For example, if a player has a A-5 straight, and there is no high hand higher than this straight, this place will have both the best high and low hand.