Omaha Poker
Omaha is second only to Texas Hold’em in its popularity among today's poker players. Both games use a community card pile, but where Texas Hold’em gives players two private cards, Omaha doubles this to four. The extra cards means that more combinations are possible, offering a greater challenge and more variety.
Discover the best in Omaha poker when you play online. Compete in cash games or enter freerolls for a chance of winning free money. Best of all, a new poker player can earn a welcome bonus when they sign up to one of our top-rated Omaha poker sites!
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How We Review Omaha Poker Sites
At Gambling.com, our experts go through a rigorous testing criterion when selecting the very best online Omaha poker rooms to recommend.
Selection of Games: You should be able to play Omaha online for free or enter Omaha tournaments and Sit & Gos at a range of stakes. Or save your bankroll and register for big-money guaranteed tourneys.
Great Software for Desktop or Mobile: How easy is it to download an app or PC client? Are the graphics and gameplay OK? Every top Omaha poker room will offer user friendly software so you can get to the games you want fast.
Amazing Customer Support: If you have a problem, it’s important to get access to top customer service. Phone a support line or get online with a live chat representative who can help right away.
Bonuses & Giveaways: The beauty of playing Omaha poker online is the range of offers and promotions you can get access to. Earn a welcome bonus with the best online casinos when you open your account and claim free tournament entries or rakeback on your cash game fees.
What is Omaha Poker?
Omaha poker is a form of Texas Hold'em where each player receives four hole cards. The aim is to make the best 5-card hand with any two hole cards and three of the five community cards on the table. Typically, you can play Omaha online free in cash game format. As soon as you run out of chips you can leave the table and replenish your stack. You can also play for real money at stakes to suit your budget.
Omaha Poker Rules to Know
An Omaha poker game is usually played with 2-9 players per table. It’s generally a harder game to learn than Hold’em due to the changing nature of hands during a game. Players are constantly drawing and redrawing to better hands. This can affect your decision-making when choosing good starting hands.
The Deal
The two players to the left of the dealer each place a forced bet called a blind. The big blind is worth double the small blind. Each player is then dealt four cards face down.
The Flop
There is a round of betting action where players can match the big blind, raise or fold. Once the betting is over, three community cards are dealt onto the table. These are shared among all players.
The Turn
There is another round of betting action, followed by a fourth community card, called the turn.
The River
There is a further betting round, after which a final community card is dealt, known as the river.
Showdown
There is a final betting round, after which all remaining players go to a showdown and compare hands. The highest 5-card poker hand wins, according to standard hand rankings.
Omaha Poker Hands
Here are the hand rankings in an Omaha game:
- Royal Flush: Ace, King, Queen, Jack, Ten, all of the same suit. Best possible hand.
- Straight Flush: Five cards in a row of the same suit.
- Four of a Kind: All four cards of the same rank.
- Full House: A pair plus three of a kind.
- Flush: All five cards in one suit, not in any order.
- Straight: All five cards in numerical order, but not in the same suit.
- Three of a Kind: Three cards of the same rank.
- Two Pair: Two different pairs.
- One Pair: Two cards of the same rank.
- High Card: When no player has a pair or better.
How to Play Omaha Poker
Setting up an online poker account is easy. With a few clicks, you can start playing free Omaha poker and enjoying the best software online.
First, you’ll need to download the Omaha poker software. Install the desktop client for your PC or Mac, or install a dedicated mobile app.
Whatever version you go for, ensure your geolocation tools are properly installed. You will need to prove that you are physically located within a regulated state if you are playing Omaha poker in the US. Poker sites provide special software plugins that allow them to pinpoint your exact whereabouts.
Similarly, if you’re playing on mobile, make sure your GPS and Wi-Fi are switched on. This way, you will get instant access to the online Omaha poker room in order to play.
Desktop
- PC (Download or Instant-Play)
- Mac (Instant-Play)
Mobile
- iOS (Download from App Store)
- Android (Download from poker site)
Next, you can open your Omaha poker site account. Fill in the registration form, starting by creating a username, screen alias and password. You’ll also have to provide accurate personal details, such as:
- Email address
- Home address
- Gender
- Date of birth
- Phone number
- Social Security number (SSN)
Once you have verified your email address, you can complete your registration and make a deposit. Have a scan of your passport or photo ID to hand, as you will have to upload this when funding your account.
Why Play Omaha Poker Online?
There are many benefits to playing Omaha poker online. Here’s a rundown of our top 5 reasons to play online:
Learn the rules for free: If you’re new to Omaha, you can learn the ropes online without risking a dime.
Enter Omaha poker freerolls: The best Omaha poker sites run regular freerolls where you can win a share of a guaranteed prizepool. That’s one benefit a poker player won’t find in a land-based cardroom.
Earn a welcome bonus: An online Omaha player can claim a cardroom bonus just by opening a new account and making a deposit. Earn complimentary tournament entries or play with some free cash on Omaha games of your choice.
Join a loyalty program and earn benefits: Omaha poker sites offer generous loyalty programs that let an active player claim comps. Rack up player points every time you play Omaha poker and redeem them for real cash.
What States Can I Play Omaha Poker Online?
You can try play Omaha poker online in several US states. Some states, like Nevada, Delaware and New Jersey, have also entered into a multistate compact so that player pools are shared.
Nevada poker sites: Nevada was one of the first states to legalize online poker games. Play for real money at regulated poker sites aligned with the biggest Vegas cardrooms.
New Jersey poker sites: NJ has one of the biggest legal online poker industries in the US. You can play an Omaha game online for free in New Jersey at nearly a dozen poker sites.
Delaware poker: Delaware was one of the earliest US states to open its virtual doors to online poker sites. The choice of Omaha poker rooms in Delaware is still quite small. However, the state does share its player pools with partner sites elsewhere in the US.
Pennsylvania poker apps: PA was the fourth site to pass online poker legislation. You can now play Omaha online for real money or for free in Pennsylvania, but the choice of poker sites is still limited.
Michigan poker apps: Legalized online poker sites in Michigan are expected to begin operating in 2021. Major apps like the PokerStars poker app already have deals in place with existing land-based casino operators.
West Virginia poker: Like Michigan, West Virginia only recently legalized all forms of online gambling, including poker. While the first sportsbooks have already opened, sites offering Hold’em and Omaha poker aren’t expected until 2021.
Omaha Poker Variants
You can try out a range of Omaha poker variants online. Load up a play-money cash game or enter a freeroll and enjoy risk-free tournament gambling! Typically, betting in free Omaha poker games is either Limit or Pot Limit. With Limit and Pot Limit games, there are strict maximum raises that you can make.
In a Limit game, you will be restricted to a betting limit on the first three rounds of wagering. A higher betting limit will apply to the final wagering rounds.
In Pot Limit Omaha poker, the maximum raise you can make is the size of the pot after you have made a call. The most popular Omaha poker cash games will be played with Pot Limit betting.
Omaha Hi
Omaha Hi is the most common format of the game. The pot is won by the highest 5-card poker hand formed of two hole cards and three community cards.
Omaha Hi-Lo/Omaha 8
Omaha Hi-Lo, or Omaha Hi-Lo 8-or-Better, is commonly played in online cash games. The pot is split between the highest and lowest qualifying hand. In this case, a low hand contains five unpaired cards worth 8 or lower.
5-Card Omaha
Some US poker sites offer a unique version of Omaha played with five hole cards. You must make the best poker hand formed of two hole cards and any three community cards.
6-Card Omaha
You can play 6-Card Omaha at the larger online poker sites in the US. Every player receives six hole cards instead of four. They must make the best 5-card hand with any two hole cards plus three community cards.
Courcheval
Courcheval is a variant of Omaha that is similar to 5-Card Omaha. Each player receives five hole cards and must use any two with any three community cards to make a winning hand. The main difference between Courcheval and 5-Card Omaha is that the first flop card is revealed at the start of the hand. Courcheval can be played with Limit, Pot Limit or No Limit betting.
Cash Games
Omaha poker is mainly played in a cash game format. You buy in up to the maximum limit and play with a set of blinds that don’t change. If you go bust you can buy more chips as long as you have money in your poker account.
Tournaments
You can play most forms of Omaha poker in tournament format. Pay an entry and receive a set amount of chips. Once your chips are gone, you are out of the tournament. Prize money is divided between a percentage of the top-finishing players. There may also be a guaranteed prizepool where a set amount of cash is awarded, regardless of how many players enter.
Types of Poker Games Available Online
Several real money poker games are available online in addition to Omaha poker and its variants. Among them are:
Texas Hold'em | The most popular form of poker around the world. Players make the best five-card hand after two face-down and five community cards are dealt.
Stud Poker | Players are dealt a mix of face-up and face-down cards and there are no community cards.
Razz Poker | A stud poker variation with a twist: The lowest five-card hand wins, not the high hand.
Badugi Poker | A draw poker game played with four-card hands instead of five. The lowest set of cards with no two cards of the same suit or rank wins the pot.
FAQ
How Many Hand Combinations Does Omaha Have?
About 270,000, or more than 200 times as many as Texas Hold’em. That’s because players are dealt four hole cards instead of two. So many potential hands mean more variety and potential strategies when playing Omaha poker online.
What is a Wrap in Omaha Poker?
A wrap is a draw to a straight in which you have more than eight outs (cards that complete your straight). Some wrap draws can have as many as 20 outs. The more outs for your straight draw the better. It’s important that Omaha players know how many wrap outs they have because a large number of hands are won by a straight or better.
What is the Best Starting Hand in Omaha?
A double-suited Ace-King, such as Ace-King of spades and Ace-King of hearts is the best starting hand in Omaha poker. This is a better hand than, say, Ace-King-10 of spades and Ace of hearts because only two hole cards can be used, so that third spade doesn’t help complete a flush. Similarly, it you are dealt three kings, that’s not as good as it looks - you can only use two, and only one more king remains in the deck.
Do You Have to Use Two Cards in Your Hand in Omaha?
Yes. Two of your four hole cards must be used in all hands when playing Omaha Poker online or in live games. That is the biggest difference between Omaha and other forms of poker.
What is the Difference Between Omaha and Texas Hold’em?
Players are dealt four hole cards in Omaha poker compared to two in Texas Hold’em. And in Omaha, players must use exactly two of their hole cards to pair with three community cards. In Texas Hold’em, players can utilize both, one or none of their hole cards.
How to Get a Flush in Omaha Poker?
A player makes a flush in Omaha poker with two cards of the same suit in his hand combined with at least three community cards of that suit.
Is Omaha poker harder than Hold’em?
Yes. In Omaha, you must keep track of several combinations of hands at the same time. You must also be aware of other players drawing to made hands.
What is the worst starting hand in Omaha Poker?
The worst starting hand in an Omaha game is four of a kind, e.g. 2-2-2-2. You can only use two of your hole cards, so any hand containing a pair, three-of-a-kind, or quads, is a bad one.
How do you win at Omaha poker?
You must be selective with your Omaha starting hands and never play outside your comfort level. Start off playing for free, then try the micro-stakes tables to get a feel for the game.
