
When anyone mentions poker, one of the common variants that come to mind is Omaha. If you are unfamiliar with the game, or need a refresher, I have compiled this detailed guide on how to play Omaha poker.
A popular poker variant, Omaha poker shares several similarities with Texas Hold ’em and is played by many. In this guide, I unpack the game’s rules, from the hand values to how each hand works, and walk you through a typical gaming hand. I also share where you can find these games if you want to play for free.
Omaha poker is the second biggest poker variant in the world, behind Texas Hold ’em. The game’s popularity is due to the similarities with Texas Hold ’em, and both games are played in the same manner, except when playing Omaha you receive four hole cards instead of two. The game is usually played between 2-10 players, with a standard deck of 52 cards. If you are still confused about what Omaha poker is about, don’t worry. Below, I will go into more detail, including the rules of the game and how the hands are ranked.
If you have a good understanding of how to play Texas Hold ’em poker, you should understand the ins and outs of Omaha poker quickly. Omaha poker rules are the same as Texas Hold ’em, with the main differences being the hole cards and how to create a five-card poker hand. The hole cards are the cards each player receives at the start of each hand, and unlike Texas Hold ’em, where you start with two hole cards, for Omaha, you begin with four hole cards.
The game’s objective is the same as Texas Hold ’em, and you need to have the strongest five-card hand from both your hole cards and the community cards. However, the main difference with Omaha is that you can only make your five-card hand using two hole cards and three community cards. This is where many players get confused, but the golden rule is that it must be a 2-3 split (2 hole cards and 3 community cards).
Before I can walk you through how a standard Omaha hand or playing round works, below is a breakdown of the Omaha poker hands rankings:
Omaha poker hand rankings | Card Details |
---|---|
Royal Flush | Ace, King, Queen, Jack and Ten of the same suit |
Straight Flush | Five consecutive cards of the same suit |
Four of a Kind | Four cards of the same rank |
Full House | Three of a kind plus a pair |
Flush | Five cards of the same suit |
Straight | Five consecutive cards of any suit |
Three of a Kind | Three cards of the same rank |
Two Pair | Two different pairs |
One Pair | Two cards of the same rank |
High Card | When none of the above hands are formed, the highest card determines the ranking |
Below is a breakdown of how a typical Omaha poker hand works:
Before the start of any round, the first two players to the dealer’s left must place your virtual currency on two options:
After the blinds, each player on the table gets four face down hole cards, and then each player takes a turn to make one of the following decisions:
After each player has made a decision, the dealer deals three face up community cards. The community cards are for all the players on the table, and after the flop has been dealt, another decision round takes place. The first player can check, meaning they don’t place an additional play amount. However, if any player raises and places another play amount on the table, then each remaining player must either call, raise or fold.
After the flop and decisions, the fourth face up community card dealt is called the Turn. Thereafter, another round of decisions occurs.
After the turn, the fifth and final face up community card is dealt, the River. The final decision round occurs before you can progress to the showdown.
Generally, the showdown is between the last two remaining players in that round. When the showdown takes place, any remaining players must show their hands (flip their hole cards), and then a winner is determined by which player has the highest five-card hand (2 hole cards and three community cards).
If you want to play free Omaha poker, the best option is to use social casinos. Like playing free Texas Hold’em poker without downloading any software, there is no need to download any software to play Omaha when playing at social casinos. Since there is no real money gaming at social casinos, you can play Omaha for free using Gold Coins (GC) and Sweepstakes Coins (SC). GC is used for playing for fun, while when using SC, you can redeem SC winnings for real cash prizes once the relevant requirements are met.
Below are some of my favorite social casinos where you can play free Omaha poker. You can sign up at each site using the links on this page. After signing up and verifying your social casino account, you can claim an exclusive welcome bonus with free GC and SC. Remember, besides Omaha, there are hundreds of other exciting social casino games to enjoy at these sites.
RealPrize welcomes all new users with a free sign up bonus of 100,000 Gold Coins + 2 Sweepstakes Coins. There are several discounted GC purchase bundles for more GC and SC, but you can also get free GC and SC with the RealPrize login bonus and other promos. RealPrize has several poker games, including Omaha, plus 300+ other games, such as Crash Live and Cash Pig.
You can sign up at Stake.us using the bonus code STFSOCIAL, and you can get a massive cumulative bonus of 560,000 Gold Coins + 56 Stake Cash + 5% rakeback. Stake.us stands out for its social community engagement, and there is a comprehensive poker section where users can share their gameplay and strategies. Besides the poker games, other standout social casino gaming options include Stake Originals titles like Stake Plinko and Stake Mines.
Clubs Poker is another top choice, and all new users can get started with a free sign up bonus of 2,500 Gold Coins + 0.5 Sweeps Coins. Thanks to the daily login bonus, you can boost your play amount with more free GC and SC every 24 hours. With a name like Clubs Poker, you know that there are diverse Omaha poker games, and I recommend you try Omaha hi-lo.
As part of the World Poker Tour group, ClubWPT is an excellent social casino for novice Omaha poker users. The site has many helpful guides on how to play the game, plus insights from seasoned pros with tips to maximizing your gameplay. You can play for free in various poker rooms, and all new users are welcomed with 5,000 free Play Chips.
Global Poker is great for any social casino user, and newbies can get going with a free bonus of 100,000 Gold Coins + 10 free poker tournament entries. There are daily sit and go poker tournaments, including Omaha poker games. When you log into your account daily, you can also claim a progressive daily login bonus, which is a nice option for building your play amount balance.
After reading my detailed guide, I hope I have answered your question about how to play Omaha poker. The popular poker game is accessible to all players, and you can even play for free at the best social casinos, such as Stake.us and Clubs Poker. If you want to play for free, click on any of the links on this page to sign up and claim your exclusive welcome bonus. Enjoy your Omaha poker experience, and remember to have fun!
Both Omaha poker and Texas Hold’em share similarities, with the main difference being that you need two hole cards and three community cards to make a five-card poker hand when playing Omaha.
You can play Omaha for free at social casinos, such as Stake.us, RealPrize, Clubs Poker, ClubWPT and Global Poker.
If you play in sweepstakes mode, SC winnings can be redeemed for real cash prizes once the relevant requirements are met.
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