Omaha is a close cousin to the popular Texas Hold’em poker game and can also be played in limit and no-limit games. In Omaha, players are dealt four cards instead of two. They can use only two of their dealt cards (called hole cards) and three of the community cards to make their five card hand. Betting strategies for Omaha and Texas Hold’em are very similar.
A key difference between the two games is in Omaha the player gets to select which two cards they will use while in Hold’em they do not. This selection is perhaps the most important choice a player makes when playing Omaha. It is at this point that the player must chose to move forward with the game if he has a good hand, or to fold if he does not. If the player has a good hand, he must play aggressively from the onset or he is likely to lose the hand. Because of this fact, more players fold on average when playing Omaha than when playing Texas Hold’em.
If you have decided not to fold but to continue to play, you are sending a clear message to your opponents at the table that you have a good hand (or at least that is the message that you should be sending). If you did not have a good hand you would have folded. Because of this fact, it is difficult to bluff in Omaha and not recommended for newbies to the game. It is no secret that players who do not like to bluff opt for Omaha rather than Texas Hold’em. On the flip side, take note that your opponents are also probably not bluffing because there really isn’t much to bluff about. If they make a big raise, take them seriously. Last but not least, Omaha is a game that is true to the odds because bluffing plays less of a factor. For this reason, it is advisable to know your odds and stick to them. By following these guidelines you will have greater success at Omaha poker.
