Omaha Poker Games: Poker With a Twist

Omaha poker games (also called Omaha hold ‘em, Omaha holdem or simply Omaha) are variations of the world-famous Texas Hold ‘em games. The game has acquired millions of patrons worldwide, mainly because it is much easier to get into. In Omaha, the player gets to choose his cards from a set of 9 cards. This is the main difference between Omaha poker and its spiritual predecessor, Texas Hold ‘em poker. Different variants of Omaha poker exist, the most important ones being ‘high-low split’ and ‘8-or-better’.

In ‘high-low split’, the persons with the ‘high-hand’ (highest total of card values) and ‘low-hand’ (lowest total of card values) at the end of the game split the winnings. This variant has gained popularity among amateur players, because there is always double the chance of winning something.

In ‘8-or-better’ variant, the high-hand must contain cards of denominations 9 or higher, while the low-hand must contain cards with values of 8 or lower. This is why the game is called ‘8-or-better’. In this game, in case there are no qualifiers for low-hands, person holding the high-hand will walk away with the entire amount won. Even with this risk, the higher chance of winning at least half the spoils of victory lures many players to this game.

One can easily spot some differences between Omaha poker and Texas Hold ‘em games. These include,

1. Just like Texas Hold 'em, if there are three or more ‘suitable’ cards on the board, a flush is possible. But unlike Texas Hold ‘em, a player will always need two cards of that ‘suitable’ type in his hand to play the flush. For instance, if there are three diamond cards on the board, the player with spades and hearts in his hand cannot win. He must have at least two diamond cards in his hand to win the game.

1. Two pair on the board would make a full house for a player with a single matching card in his hand in Texas Hold ‘em games. In Omaha, it is not so. Similarly, if there are three cards of a kind on board, a player must have two matching cards in his hand to make a full house.

These differences may make Omaha Poker (a tad confusing to new players, but otherwise, this game is actually simpler than Texas Hold ’em. The game is gaining popularity rapidly around the world and may soon gain just as much support as its predecessor.