Learn To Play Omaha Poker

It is a common misconception that there is only one type of poker game - Texas Hold'em. This is partly due to the fact that it is the one most often played but it's also because it is generally considered to be the easiest one to pick up. If you are looking for a new poker challenge then it is well worth giving one of the other games a go. You will soon learn that there is a wide range available to play, some which vary a lot and others just a little from Hold'em.

Poker variations

To make things easier for you, the different type of poker games can be broken down into three different categories. This of course simplifies things a great deal but when learning it can be really helpful. There are community card games, stud games and draw games. As mentioned earlier, even within this groups the rules do vary. Community card games are the most popular and this is where Hold'em falls. Possibly the most popular stud game is seven-card stud, while the most popular draw game is five-card draw.

Omaha poker

This is a hugely popular game and one that you will pretty much always find in poker rooms. Omaha is a great game to try after you have learnt Hold'em, because it is pretty similar. The main difference is that players are dealt four cards rather than just two and they have to use at least two cards from their hands.

It may seem like just a slight change however when it comes to cards, even the smallest change can make a big difference to the way the game is played. You can guess straight away that Omaha offers you a lot more possibilities for making a good hand than Hold'em, largely due to the fact you are given more cards to play with in the first place.

Omaha High and Hi/Low

Omaha can also be played in two ways - High only and Hi/Lo split. You win Omaha high by getting the highest hand, like in Hold'em, while for Omaha hi/lo the pot is split into two - a high and a low one. Each pot has half of the original pot and you win the low pot by getting the lowest possible hand.

Ideally you want to win both pots, and when you do it is referred to as 'scooping' the pot. This is obviously easier said than done and requires some highly skilled playing where you bet everyone out of one of the pots. Otherwise you can win if you have the best high hand which isn't beaten by a low hand at a showdown. Alternatively you can have both the best high and low hand at a showdown. If you don't win both you can still go for either the high or low pot which will mean you win half, which is better than nothing!