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Omaha: How to Make a Hand
By PokerListings
There are two major differences between Texas Hold'em and Omaha.
First of all, in Omaha each player receives four hole cards rather than two. Second of all, one must use two (exactly two) of the four hole cards, along with three (exactly three) of the cards on the board (the community cards), when making a hand.
In Hold'em it is possible to use one, two or none (play the board) of the hole cards.
This article intends to clarify how this seemingly small difference sets Omaha apart from Hold'em as an entirely separate game.
Examples
Example 1
The board: 10
7
2 3 K
In Hold'em: those players holding a Heart now have a flush. Any player holding the A now holds the nuts (the best possible hand), the Q will give the second nuts, and so forth.
In Omaha: any player holding a flush must have at least two Hearts amongst his hole cards. You do not hold a flush if your hand contains only one Heart. Any A-xh-x-x combination will be the nut hand.
Example 2
The board: 7 8 9 T
J
In Hold'em: every player holds a straight 7-J. Any player holding a Q has a straight (8-Q), and any player holding a KQ has the nuts (a straight 9-K).
In Omaha: You must use two cards from your hand to complete a straight. A 5-6-x-x makes the lowest straight (5-9), a K-Q-x-x makes the highest straight (9-K). A 7-8-x-x, 8-9-x-x, 9-T-x-x, T-J-x-x, J-7-x-x, and so forth, completes the J-high straight. Any Q-J-x-x, Q-T-x-x, Q-9-x-x or Q-8-x-x will complete the Q-high straight.
Example 3
The board: K K K K 9
In Hold'em: each player holds four-of-a-kind. Any player holding an A in their hand has the nuts, a Q the second nuts, and so forth.
In Omaha: No one can hold four-of-a-kind. Anyone holding A-A-x-x has the nuts (Kings full of Aces), Q-Q-x-x the second nuts (Kings full of Queens), and so forth.
Example 4
The board: K K K 7-As
In Hold'em: a player holding the K has the nuts (four-of-a-kind with an A-kicker), AA makes the second nuts (Aces full of Kings), and so forth.
In Omaha: A player holding an A-K-x-x holds the nuts (four-of-a-kind with an A-kicker), a player holding K-Q-x-x holds the second nuts (four-of-a-kind with a Q-kicker), and so forth.
View Best Rooms to Play: Omaha Poker
Comment(s) on this article
ben Roselli Feb 28, 2008
In omaha hold em high /low can a player claim both high and low by switching one of his cards from high to low??
Player is holding Ace of hearths and queen of hearths to make a flush.then takes a duce of diamonds form his hand with the ace to claim low hand .Is this allowed Thanks.
Sean Lind Feb 29, 2008
Yes it is. You have to use 2 cards out of you hand for either the high, or the low. You can pick any two cards for both hands.The same cards, or different ones.
A-Q-2-4
You can use AQ for high
and A2 for low
-Sean
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