Omaha Poker Guide – Rules, High/Low Hands & Strategy

Introduction

Make the best 5-card hand to win using exactly 2 of your 4 private cards and 3 of the 5 community cards.

Game Flow
  1. Each player receives 4 hole cards face down.
  2. Pre-flop betting round.
  3. Flop: 3 community cards revealed.
  4. Second betting round.
  5. Turn: 4th community card.
  6. Third betting round.
  7. River: 5th community card.
  8. Final betting round.
  9. Showdown: Players must use exactly 2 hole + 3 board cards.
Variants
  • Pot-Limit Omaha (PLO) – Most common; max bet = pot size.
  • Omaha Hi-Lo (8 or Better) – Pot split between best high and best qualifying low hand (5 unpaired cards, all ≤8).
  • 5-Card Omaha – Players get 5 hole cards, must use exactly 2.
  • Big O – 5-Card Omaha Hi-Lo.
  • No-Limit Omaha – Rare; allows all-in at any time.
Best High Hands

Same as standard poker rankings. Examples:

Royal Flush A♠ K♠ Q♠ J♠ 10♠
Straight Flush 9♥ 8♥ 7♥ 6♥ 5♥
Four of a Kind A♣ A♦ A♥ A♠ K♠
Best Low Hands (Hi-Lo)

Low hand must have 5 unpaired cards, all ranked 8 or lower. Aces are low. Best is the wheel:

The Wheel (Best Low) A♠ 2♣ 3♦ 4♥ 5♠
Second Best A♥ 2♠ 3♣ 4♦ 6♥

Invalid Low: A♠ 2♣ 3♦ 4♥ 9♠ → 9 is too high.

Best Starting Hands
  • Double-Suited Aces: A♠ A♦ K♠ Q♦
  • Connected Broadways: K♥ Q♥ J♣ T♣
  • Hi-Lo Wheel Draws: A♠ 2♣ 3♦ 4♥
  • Avoid: Hands with 3+ cards of same suit or disconnected cards like A♠ K♥ 7♣ 2♦.
Strategy Guide
  • Rule of 2 & 3: Always use exactly 2 hole + 3 board cards.
  • Play for the Nuts: Second-best hands lose big pots in Omaha.
  • Hi-Lo Tip: Aim to scoop (win both high and low).
  • Position Matters: Play tighter from early position.
  • Stack Deep: PLO plays best with 100+ big blind stacks.