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Omaha High Basic

By Deanna Couras Goodson

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Omaha Hold 'Em, or Omaha High, is pretty similar to Texas Hold 'Em. It's not as commonly played. The winning hands are higher (or lower, if you play the hi/lo, AKA 8s or better version) and it does take some getting used to if you're a Texas Hold 'Em specialist. However, it can be worth your while to learn this game. Many people who play Omaha do so pretty badly; and, if you like to win with the best hand and not the best bluff, this may be the game for you.

The rules aren't that hard. For regular , the highest hand wins. You get 4 hole, or pocket cards. You can ONLY use 2 from your hand. There are five cards on the table. They are community cards, same as in Texas Hold 'Em. There's a flop of three, a turn and a river. You bet after each round. Again, just like in Texas Hold 'Em. But, you can only use 3 cards from the board.

I'll repeat that. You can only use 2 cards from the pocket and 3 from the board. That's it. So, if you have A (diamonds) K (hearts) 10 (diamonds) Q (clubs) and a J(diamonds),K (diamonds),3(hearts),Q(diamonds),9 (spades) come up on the board, you have a Royal Flush in Diamonds using the A (diamonds) and 10 (diamonds) from your pocket and the J, K and Q of diamonds from the board.

Contrary to popular belief, Omaha is not very difficult to learn. Most decisions will come down to calculating your outs. If you can figure out what you have and what you need to make the nuts, well, then you can - and should - play Omaha

A good basic strategy is that if you have a really good Texas Hold 'Em starting hand among your hole cards such as pocket AAs, KKs or, as some players like to say, any 2 cards that'd make a winning blackjack hand, then you should see the flop. Of course, be repared to chuck it post-flop if you don't have a significant draw or, at least, 2-pair. It's also best to not see 2-pair down through to the river since it's the most common losing hand in Omaha high.

A few other strategy points:

1) If there are 3 cards of the same suit, someone probably has a flush. If it's you, make sure you are as close to the nuts as possible.

2) Full houses are common winning-hands in Omaha High; much more than in Texas Hold 'Em.

3) If someone's betting big and you don't have the nuts, fold. They probably have you beat.

If you follow these simple rules, you can win at Omaha High and win consistently. You'll be head and shoulders above at least 50% of your competition. So, get out there and play some Omaha. You may find you like it better than that other Hold 'Em game, old what's its name!

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