It is generally agreed today that poker is the easiest and most popular casino game and it is well known that many gamblers consider Omaha poker’s most popular and variant. Widely dealt in the casinos worldwide, it much resembles Texas Hold’em, with the only exception that here, each player is dealt four hole cards, not two at the beginning. To make a hand, players must correctly combine two cards hole cards from their hand with three cards from the board. At the showdown, the players show their four card hands and the winner is chosen judging by the ranking of the hands.

Omaha has two game variants: the high only variant and the high/low variant. Many people like this game as they enjoy the fun the high-low split or 8-or-better offers them.

It is more interesting and less boring than any other game because here you may use any grouping of two cards and three cards from the board to qualify for the high hand and another arrangement of two cards from your hand and three from the board to qualify for the low hand. The highest and the lowest hand split the pot, which is great because you can win even if you have a really bad hand that in other games would make you a looser.

A low hand consists of the five lowest unpaired cards. Aces may be considered as low cards; therefore, a hand consisting of an Ace, a 2, a 3, a 4 and a 5 of spades can make you a winner as it is perfectly suitable to qualify for the lowest hand. To win with a low hand, or a “nut low hand”, as players call the low hands, your highest card mustn’t be higher than an 8; as the name of the game suggests: Omaha 8 or better. You can also use two different cards to form your high hand and your low one as well.

Omaha is pretty similar with Texas Hold’em as far as betting is concerned as well. In these games, players don’t need to ante each round, like they are required in 7 and 5 card stud.

They say that Omaha poker is a game of maths, of calculations and this is true because knowing what cards the other players have is totally irrelevant as compared to being able to read your own hand and be aware of its value. This is what should matter most and if you learn to focus on your own hand instead of fearing for the others’ you’ll realise that Omaha is really a simple game and you can handle it better than you may think. Omaha poker is a game with great chances of winning, since any player can qualify for two kinds of hands. Practically, you can say that your odds are twice more favourable than in other poker games. And of course, a little bit of luck, which is also decisive in order to make a gambler fortunate will come if you respect the rules and play properly!