First in, before the flop
$7
the most you can raise to
Blinds are $1 and $2. Calling the $2 makes the pot $5, so you can raise by $5, to $7.
Learn poker
Omaha Poker Rules
How to play Omaha: four cards each, use exactly two of them, and bet up to the size of the pot.
The short answer
What is Omaha poker?
Omaha is played like Texas Hold’em, with blinds, a flop, a turn and a river. The difference is your hand: you get four hole cards instead of two, and at the showdown you must use exactly two of them with exactly three of the five cards on the board. Most Omaha is played pot-limit, which is why you’ll often see it called PLO, for Pot-Limit Omaha.
- Four hole cards each
- Use exactly two of them
- Plus exactly three from the board
- Same hand rankings as Hold'em
- Usually pot-limit (PLO)
How it works
How to play Omaha, step by step
- 1
Blinds
The two players to the left of the dealer button put in the small blind and the big blind, as in Texas Hold'em.
- 2
Four cards each
Every player is dealt four cards face down. These are your hole cards.
- 3
Before the flop
Starting left of the big blind, each player folds, calls or raises. In pot-limit, no bet or raise can be bigger than the pot.
- 4
Flop, turn and river
Three shared cards come on the flop, then one on the turn and one on the river, with a round of betting after each.
- 5
Showdown
Each player left makes the best five-card hand from exactly two hole cards and three board cards. The best hand wins the pot.
The main rule
Use exactly two of your four cards
This is the rule that catches out Texas Hold'em players. Each of these hands looks better than it is. The ringed cards are the five that make the real hand.
Four hearts on the board
Board
Your hand
The hand uses Jack of spades, 10 of diamonds, King of hearts, 9 of hearts, Queen of clubs.
- Looks like
- Flush
- Omaha hand
- Straight
One heart in your hand is not enough, because a flush needs two hearts from your hand. Your jack and ten still make a straight with the king, queen and nine.
A straight on the board
Board
Your hand
The hand uses Ace of clubs, Ace of diamonds, 7 of clubs, 8 of hearts, 9 of spades.
- Looks like
- Straight
- Omaha hand
- One pair
You can't play the board in Omaha. Every hand uses two of your own cards, so the best you have here is a pair of aces.
Three eights on the board
Board
Your hand
The hand uses King of spades, Queen of diamonds, 8 of spades, 8 of diamonds, 8 of hearts.
- Looks like
- Full house
- Omaha hand
- Three of a kind
With three of a kind on the board you need a pair in your hand to make a full house. One king only gives you three eights.
Betting
Pot-limit betting in PLO
In Pot-Limit Omaha the most you can bet or raise is the size of the pot. To make the biggest raise, call first, then raise by the whole pot as it stands after your call.
Facing a bet
$40
the most you can raise to
The pot is $10 and your opponent bets $10. Calling makes the pot $30, so you can raise by $30, to $40.
- The smallest bet is the big blind, and a raise must be at least as big as the last bet or raise, as in no-limit. More in our poker betting rules.
- A quick way to find the biggest raise: three times the bet you face, plus what was in the pot before that bet.
- No single bet can be bigger than the pot, so early in a hand you usually can't move all in with a deep stack. Stacks go in over several bets.
Compared
Omaha vs Texas Hold'em
The deal, the blinds, the betting rounds and the hand rankings are the same. What changes is how many cards you hold and how you use them.
| Rule | Texas Hold’em | Omaha |
|---|---|---|
| Hole cards | 2 | 4 |
| Cards you use from your hand | Any number, from none to two | Exactly two |
| Cards you use from the board | Three, four or all five | Exactly three |
| Usual betting | No-limit | Pot-limit |
| Possible starting hands | 1,326 | 270,725 |
| Dealt at least two aces | About 1 in 221 hands | About 1 in 39 hands |
| Hand rankings | Royal flush down to high card | The same |
With four cards each, players make strong hands more often. A hand that wins plenty of pots at Hold’em, like top pair or a low flush, is often second best in Omaha.
Split pot
Omaha Hi-Lo rules
Omaha Hi-Lo, also called Omaha 8 or Better, splits every pot between the best high hand and the best low hand.
How the low works
- A low hand is five cards of different ranks, all 8 or lower. Aces count as low.
- Straights and flushes don't count against a low, so A-2-3-4-5, the best low there is, can win the high half too.
- Lows are compared from the highest card down: 7-5-4-3-2 beats 8-4-3-2-A.
- You still use exactly two hole cards and three board cards, and you can use different cards for your high and your low.
- If no one has a low, the best high hand wins the whole pot. A low is only possible when the board has at least three different cards of 8 or lower.
An example pot
Board
Player 1
High: Three of a kindLow: none
Player 2
High: High cardLow: 7-4-3-2-A
Player 1's three kings win the high half. Player 1 holds only one card of 8 or lower, so has no low. Player 2's 7-4-3-2-A is the only low and wins the other half.
Strategy
Omaha tips for beginners
- 1
Play hands that work together
The best Omaha hands have four cards that help each other: close in rank, sharing suits, or both. A card that fits with none of the others makes the hand weaker.
- 2
Two suits beat one
A double-suited hand can make two different flushes. 13.5% of starting hands are double-suited.
- 3
Aim for the best possible hand
With four cards each, someone often holds a strong hand. A flush that isn't ace-high, or a straight that isn't the highest one, is beaten more often than in Hold'em.
- 4
Don't overrate aces
You get at least two aces about once every 39 hands. Aces with two low cards that don't help them are much weaker than they look.
- 5
Position matters even more
Acting last lets you see what everyone else does first. In pot-limit it also lets you keep the pot small or build it up.
- 6
Know the best starting hand
Two aces and two kings, double-suited: the ace and king of spades with the ace and king of hearts.
Glossary
Omaha words to know
- PLO
- Pot-Limit Omaha, the usual way Omaha is played.
- Double-suited
- A starting hand with two cards each of two suits, which can make two different flushes.
- Dangler
- A hole card that works with none of the other three.
- Wrap
- A straight draw your hole cards wrap around, with more ways to hit than an open-ended draw in Hold'em.
- The nuts
- The best possible hand on the board as it stands.
- Scoop
- Winning both halves of a Hi-Lo pot.
FAQ
Omaha questions
What is the main rule in Omaha poker?
You must use exactly two of your four hole cards and exactly three of the five board cards to make your hand. No more and no fewer.
Can you play the board in Omaha?
No. Every Omaha hand uses two of your own cards, so a straight or a flush on the board doesn't count for you unless two of your cards are part of it.
How many cards do you get in Omaha?
Four in standard Omaha. Five-card Omaha deals five, and you still use exactly two of them.
What does PLO mean?
Pot-Limit Omaha. The game is Omaha and the betting is pot-limit: the most you can bet or raise is the size of the pot.
Do you need two cards of the same suit for a flush?
Yes. A flush in Omaha needs two cards of the suit in your hand and three on the board. One suited card in your hand is never enough.
What is the best starting hand in Omaha?
Two aces and two kings, double-suited, such as the ace and king of spades with the ace and king of hearts. It holds the top pair and two chances at the best flush.
Are the hand rankings the same as in Texas Hold'em?
Yes. A royal flush is still the best hand and high card the worst. See the full order on our poker hand rankings page.
Is Omaha harder than Texas Hold'em?
The rules are no harder once you know the two-card rule. The game plays differently: with four cards each, big hands and big draws come up more often, so pots tend to be bigger.
Can I use the poker odds calculator for Omaha?
Our poker odds calculator is built for Texas Hold’em, where each player has two cards, so it doesn’t work out Omaha odds.
Where can I play Omaha online?
PokerBest deals Pot-Limit Omaha for real money. Sign up, open the poker room and choose Omaha.
Keep learning
More poker guides
Poker hand rankings
Every hand from royal flush to high card, and how often you make each one.
Read the guidePoker odds calculator
Your chance to win before the flop, on the flop and on the turn.
Read the guidePoker betting rules
Check, call, raise and fold, with a full hand played out.
Read the guidePoker terms
Every word you'll hear at the table, from all in to the nuts.
Read the guidePoker positions
Under the gun to the button: who acts when, and why it matters.
Read the guide
Play Omaha at PokerBest
Pot-Limit Omaha for real money, on your computer or your phone.