Omaha HI-LO Rules

Just like Texas Hold'em, Omaha Poker is a community card game. Community cards are those that are dealt face-up in the center of the table that are used by all players along with their hole cards to make a five card hand. Community card game simply means that the players must use some of the community cards, or board cards, to complete their hands. If you know how to play Texas Hold'em, you'll have no problems understanding the Omaha Poker rules.

Omaha Dealing Rules

The game starts off with posting the blinds. First, the player to the left of the dealer must post the mandatory small blind bet followed by the second player to the right left to the dealer posting the big blind bet (which is normally half of the big blind). These two initial bets start up the pot.

To ensure fairness, the game rotates clockwise with a button signifying the current dealer. Each person at the table gets a chance to deal the cards as well as each player has to post a big blind and a small blind at some point in the game. The rules, of course, will vary slightly when you take the game online, but that's all discussed in the Omaha poker online section.

Omaha Betting Rules

There are three options you have when it is your turn. You can call, which means that you are matching the current bets on the table; you can match the bets and raise by a certain amount (keep in mind any limits); or you can fold, which means you're out for this round. Throughout most poker games, a good player will fold on most hands and only play good ones.

The general poker rules concerning betting is that everyone must have bet the same amount at the end of each betting round. So, when a player raises, all other players must at least match the new highest bet in order to stay in the game; this is done in an orderly fashion one player at a time. It's not unusual to see each player be faced with three and sometimes even four decisions during one betting round; however, it makes for one long poker game.

Omaha Playing Rules

Once the small and big blind is posted, each player receives four cards and a round of betting stats with the third player to the left of the dealer. Each player has the choice to either call, raise, or fold.
2. Once the first round of betting is complete, three community cards are dealt in the middle of the table, called "the Flop", prompting the second round of bets. Each player now analyzes the potential hands that can be made by combining two of their hole cards with the three community cards and bet accordingly.
3. Once the second round of betting is complete, the fourth community card, "the Turn" is dealt, prompting the third round of bets. Again, players analyze their potential hands by taking three of the four community cards in conjunction with two of their four hole cards.
4. The fourth (and final) round of betting begins when the fifth card, "the River' is laid out on the table. Players make their decisions to call, raise or fold based on their hands.
5. Once the final round of betting is complete, the "Showdown" takes place where all the remaining players show their hands to determine he winner.