Omaha Hold\’em – A New Form of the Standard Texas Hold\’em

• Author: Tom Kearns
• Filed under: Casinos
• Date: Feb 5,2010

For anyone that has ever experienced the thrill of playing poker, you would know that there is always something exciting happening in the game. Omaha hold\’em is no different. It\’s pretty much the same as normal Texas hold\’em but with the added twist of being dealt four cards instead of just two.

A surprising number of possibilities spring up with the extra two cards. They offer two more options to play your hand but also add to you decision making process. You must decide which two to keep in your hand based on the community cards dealt to the table. In Texas hold\’em, the same circumstances prevail but you don\’t have to decide which of the cards in your hand to keep, you play them all. Omaha offers that extra challenge of which cards to choose for play.

This leads to playing more hands and gives you more chances at winning. In poker, its not just in the cards. If all you want is a card game, stick to Gin Rummy. Betting brings the game of poker to a whole new level and forces you to concentrate more than in other less risky card games.

The rules and play of Omaha are the same as for other hold\’em games. Each player is dealt four cards to use in the round. At this point, if your cards are such that you wish to continue the play, an initial bet is placed. This bet is called the big blind. You determine from your hand whether to call, raise or fold.

With round one of betting completed the first group of community cards is dealt to the table, the flop. Once again a round of betting ensues and you must decide from the cards in your hand whether to raise, call or fold. Once betting is over, the next community card, the turn, is dealt to the table and another round of betting takes place.

Once the last card is dealt (the river), the final round of betting begins and here is the card that will make you either a winner or a loser. Either way, you are ready to start all over again to either win back a loss or add to a win. The rounds of betting allow you to judge the strengths of your opponents\’ hands and with experience and developing your skill at perception and insight, you will know when to bet and how much.

All forms of poker involve the challenge of playing against people rather than just the cards. Most of the time a person is unpredictable, until you begin to learn their playing style. If you can pick up on how they play, then you can predict what a person will do based on how you play.

With experience and the effort required to sharpen your people-reading skills, you will overcome your opponents every time – well, that and a little luck.

The author is a successful limit cash game player. He plays poker online and receives Rakeback at Carbon Poker and Rakeback at Fortune Poker.