Omaha Hi

Introduction:  Omaha Hi is a poker game whose land and online poker room popularity has been increasing steadily in recent years.  In this variation of Poker, it is not uncommon for winners of the game to have a straight or a flush as their final hand. 

History:  Poker is quickly becoming one of the world’s most popular games, buoyed by televised tournaments and the World Series of Poker matches.  While Texas Holdem has been at the forefront of the Poker revival, its little brother, Omaha Hi, has begun to make its mark in both land and online casinos and poker rooms.

No one is really sure where Omaha Hi originated or how it developed.  One might guess that it was developed in the U.S. State of Omaha as an offshoot of Texas Holdem.  Where Holdem can become quite expensive for a player of ordinary means, Omaha Hi doesn’t require pockets nearly as deep.  There are, thus, a large number of players who prefer Omaha Hi to Texas Holdem.

The game of Omaha Hi remains popular in the Midwest section of the United States and among online casino players worldwide who feel that the action at Omaha Hi tables is of a less cutthroat nature.  Some believe the opportunities for winning are greater and more realistic for players who participate in online Omaha Hi games. 

Variants:  Omaha Hi pots and pot limits are pre-determined by the individual online poker room in which the game is played.  Check out several poker sites and the limits they offer so that you find a table in a poker room that matches your style and your budget.   Pots are either limit, no limit, or pot limit varieties.

Rules:  The Game of Omaha Hi starts with a blind bet. Usually, this is a minimum bet of a dollar or two to enhance the pot size. The difference between Omaha Hi and Texas Hold’em is the manner in which the cards are dealt. In Omaha Hi, players are dealt four cards in the course of a hand and five community cards are placed face up on the table. Players must formulate their final hands by combining two of the four cards they were dealt with three of the community cards.

The players’ options during the initial betting stage are to fold, bet, or raise. During the subsequent three rounds, the options also include checking. After the final betting round, all players remaining in the game create their best five card hand and the winner takes the entire pot.

Betting:  There are four possible betting rounds in Omaha Hi.  A blind bet is a bet that a player is forced to make before the cards are dealt.  Each bet and raise during the first two rounds of play are established by the lower limit structure set by the house for that table.  The final two rounds of betting are set by the higher limit structure determined by the house for the table.  Typically, the minimum/maximum bet is $1/$2 for lower level competition. 

The maximum number of bets allowed for each player during a betting round is four: bet, raise, re-raise, and cap.  Cap is a term used to describe the third raise in a round, after which there can be no further or higher bet placed.  Once a player has been capped, the only remaining options are to call or to fold.

If you like Holdem but prefer a game whose limits allow you to stay at the table a while, Omaha Hi might be the game for you.  Recreational players enjoy it and professionals love the twist on Texas Holdem.