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Any 4 of a kind other than 4 x Aces will lose to the above hand. However, if you’re holding 4 x Queens, that hand can be beaten by 4 x Kings and 4 x Aces. Here are several other examples of Four of a Kind: 3 ♥ 3 ♠ 3 ♦ 3 ♣. 10 ♥ 10 ♠ 10 ♦ 10 ♣. K ♥ K ♠ K ♦ K ♣.

• Omaha Rules 4 Of A Kind
• Omaha Rules Four Of A Kind
• Omaha Rules 4 Of A Kindergarten
• 4 Of A Kind In Omaha
• Omaha Rules 4 Of A Kindle
• Omaha Rules 4 Of A Kindness

Four-of-a-Kind is second on the list of standard poker hand rankings and consists of four cards of the same rank. The best 4-of-a-Kind hand is made up of four Aces: A ♥ A ♠ A ♦ A ♣. In this hand ranking, it’s the rank or the denomination that’s most important. For instance, J ♥ J ♠ J ♦ J ♣ is a Four-of-a-Kind hand that beats any of the lower ranked hands, like 4-of-a-Kind Tens, Nines, and so on. It will generally be made less frequently than in Omaha-hi due to the different types of starting hands that are generally considered premiums. Straight Flush – 5 cards in a row, all of the same suit. For example 5,6,7,8,9 of diamonds. Four-of-a-Kind – 4 cards of the same value. Each player is dealt 13 cards, all face down. As a full deck of cards on has 52 cards, only 4 players can play a hand of Chinese Poker at any one time. A typical round of Chinese Poker has 3 or 4 players but it is also commonly played heads-up. Important note: All the cards in the deck are dealt out for every hand.

Table Of Contents

For many poker players who start out learning how to play Texas hold'em, Omaha poker is often the next game to discover.

If you are thinking to explore this poker variant and you would like to learn how to play Omaha poker, this beginner's guide to the game gives you everything you need.

Continue reading to find:

1. What is Omaha Poker?

The more you play poker, the more you keep hearing how Omaha poker is the game to play to get the best action and challenge the best players.

In the past 10 years or so, Omaha poker became one of the most popular poker variants. Some go as far as to say that Omaha poker (PLO, specifically) it's on a trajectory to surpass Texas hold'em and become the most played game in the world.

Part of the game's success has to do with its rules. Like most poker games, the basics of Omaha poker are the same as those in Texas hold'em - meaning that if you know how to play one, you are in a good spot to play the other.

When it comes to Omaha poker, there are different sub-variants out there, each with its specificities and dedicated players base.

The two most popular types of Omaha poker (i.e. those you'll find at every major poker site) are:

• pot-limit Omaha (PLO)
• Omaha hi-lo

This guide on how to play Omaha poker focuses on pot-limit Omaha (PLO) poker, one of the most played games of the year and probably the easiest version of the game to learn as a beginner.

If that's not what you are looking for or if you are already fluent in PLO poker, you can read about Omaha hi-lo poker rules here.

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2. How To Play Omaha Poker

To play a game of Omaha poker you'll need a 52-card deck of French cards. Also, unless you are in for an old-fashioned game with beans, buttons, and pennies, you'll need also some poker chips, a dealer button, and two blinds buttons.

A game of Omaha poker needs two to ten players to begin.

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Like in other poker games, the action of a hand of Omaha poker includes several betting rounds and a combination of private ('hole') and community cards ('the board).

The first thing you want to remember when it comes to learning how to play Omaha poker is the name of the different phases that compose a hand.

• The pre-flop: The initial betting round. Some players (the 'Blinds') are obliged to place a bet while the others can decide wether to call, fold, or raise.
• The flop: The second betting round. The players still in the hand decide how to act once the dealer places the first three community cards on the board, face up.
• The turn: The third betting round. The players still in the hand decide how to act once the dealer places the one more community card on the board, face up.
• The river:The last betting round. The players still in the hand decide how to act once the dealer places the last the five community cards on the board, face up.
• The showdown: The players still in the hand reveal their cards.

Preflop Action

The Big Blind (BB) and the Small Blind (SB) place their bets on the table so the action can start.

The dealer distributes four cards to each player, all face down. As we will see later, this is one of the key differences between Omaha and Texas Hold'em poker.

As soon as all the cards reached the respective players, the first betting round begins. The first player to act is the one at the left of the Big Blind (table position: 'Under the Gun' or UTG).

The action continues clockwise until it reaches the Big Blind.

All players have the following options:

• Call: They place a bet equal to the size of the Big Blind (or to the highest bet that was placed before them, in case someone in the hand decided to raise).
• Raise: They increase the bet making it more expensive for other players to stay in the hand.
• Fold: They give back the card and leave the hand.

The Flop

The dealer places three cards on the board, all face up. These are the first of a series of five that the players need to use to build their final poker hand.

As soon as the three cards are on the table, a new betting round begins.

The Flop betting round is identical to the previous one.

The Turn

The dealer places one more card on the board, again face up. All the players still in the hand enter a new betting round that develops exactly as the previous one.

The River

The dealer places the last community card on the table, face up, and a new betting round follows.

Omaha Rules 4 Of A Kind

If there are still two or more players in the hand, the action continues to the final chapter (the 'Showdown). It most player fold, the hand goes to the last-one standing.

The Showdown

The players in the hand turn at least two of their private cards and use them in combination with any of the five on the board to build a five-card poker hand.

The player with the highest poker hand is the one who wins the hand and takes down the pot.

And here's where most beginners get in trouble.

Players that are just starting to learn how to play this game and are not too familiar with the Omaha poker rules tend to make a lot of mistakes when it comes to building five-card hands.

The most common PLO poker mistake people make when they learn how to play Omaha poker is to forget they need to use at least two of the four hole cards to build their final hand.

Let's look at one example.

A player holding A♥Q♣7♦6♦ looks at a board of 9♥4♥2♣J♥Q♥ thinking he has made the nuts with an ace-high flush.

That's a mistake.

The Omaha poker rules do not allow you to make a hand using only one hole card (A♥) in combination with four community cards (the four hearts on the board).

In fact, this player only has a pair of queens, not a flush.

How to Bet in Omaha Poker

Another factor to consider when it comes to Omaha rules is how betting works. And that's because there are some key differences between Omaha poker and Hold'em — and not being aware of them could cost you a lot of precious chips.

Like in hold'em, the minimum bet allowed in Omaha is always the equivalent of the big blind.

In a $1/$2 PLO poker game, the minimum a player can bet is $2.

However, while in no-limit hold'em player can always bet all their chips at any point, the maximum bet allowed in PLO is the size of the pot.

Calculating what exactly is a 'pot-sized' bet can be trickier and it often needs the help of the dealer.

If the pot is $10 and a player is the first to act, the calculation is easy: the maximum possible bet is $10.

However, poker is never that easy. You need to be prepared for different types of situations and calculations if you don't want the other players to take advantage of your lack of experience.

Let's use an example to understand how betting works in PLO poker.

In this fictional PLO poker hand, there are $10 in the pot when a player bets $5. The next player, however, decide to up their game and announce the intention to 'raise pot'.

How much is that?

Based on the previous bets, the most that player can bet is $25.

This number is calculated by adding the $5 to call plus the $20 that would be in the pot after the call ($5 + $20 = $25).

When you play Omaha at a casino, the dealer will take care of the math for you should you announce you wish to bet the pot.

Things get even easier when you play online because the calculations appear right on the screen, automatically.

3. The Hands in Omaha Poker

Pot-limit Omaha (or 'Omaha high') is known as an 'action game' which is one reason why it is popular among high-stakes players.

Since players start with four hole cards in Omaha instead of two, they can make a much wider range of hands.

For that reason, hand values tend to be higher in Omaha than in hold'em, with players making 'the nuts' or the highest possible hand much more frequently.

If you think about it, in PLO players aren't dealt just a single two-card combination (as in hold'em), but six different two-card combinations (among the four hole cards) from which to choose the best hand.

It isn't surprising, then, that players tend to make much better hands at showdown in Omaha poker.

In Texas hold'em making two pair or three-of-a-kind can be a very strong hand, but in Omaha there will often be better hands out there to beat those holdings.

Let's look at two more examples.

Example 1.

Yu have been dealt 10♠9♠8♥7♥ and by the river the board is 7♠9♥K♥J♣2♦.

Using the ten and eight in your hand along with three community cards, you have a jack-high straight.

The problem is that any opponent holding Qx10xXxXx would complete a higher, king-high straight and defeat you.

If the betting gets heavy on the river, that's probably exactly what is happening.

Example 2.

You hold J♠J♣9♠9♥ on a board of 9♦K♠Q♥5♦3♦.

You have a set of nines, which would be a nice holding in Texas hold'em. But Omaha poker is a different game and there are several hands that could beat yours.

Anyone with KxKxXxXx or QxQxXxXx would have a higher set, and an opponent with Jx10xXxXx would have a straight.

There is also a flush possibility, meaning anyone with X♦X♦XxXx (two diamonds) would make a flush.

Due to the nature of so many better hands, an opponent may just be calling your bets with a set of kings or queens as they may fear a straight or flush, so even if you are not facing any immediate aggression, you could still be beaten so proceed with caution.

4. Differences Between Omaha and Texas Hold'em?

Like hold'em, Omaha is a 'flop' game that uses community cards.

Just like in hold'em, players are dealt their own hands face down — their 'hole cards' — and use those cards in combination with the five community cards (the flop, turn, and river) to make five-card poker hands.

However, there is one big difference between Omaha and hold'em.

Whereas in hold'em all the players receive two hole cards each, in Omaha they get four hole cards.

Of those four hole cards, players must choose two to be used in combination with three of the five community cards to build their five-card poker hands.

Yes. In a game of Omaha poker, each player must use two of their hole cards and three of the community cards to build a poker hand.

That's different from hold'em where players can use:

• both of their hole cards (and three community cards),
• just one hole card (and four community cards),
• or no hole cards (and all five community cards, which is called 'playing the board').

In pot-limit Omaha, the poker hand rankings are just the same as in Texas hold'em.

Like hold'em, pot-limit Omaha or 'PLO' poker is played as a 'high-hand' game, which means the hands go (from best to worst):

• royal flush
• straight flush
• four-of-a-kind
• full house
• flush
• straight
• three-of-a-kind
• two pair
• one pair
• high-card.

Other Omaha Poker Tips

The Importance of 'Position'

Just like in hold'em, poker positioning is an important element in Omaha.

Many consider this aspect of the game to be even more important in Omaha poker. That's due to the the pot-limit betting format and all the combinations a player can make with an Omaha hand.

When you have 'position' on your opponents, you can follow their actions and base your decisions on the information you received.

When you are out of position, it becomes much harder to make the correct decisions. The lack of information can lead to wrongful assumptions and push you to take risks that are not justified by the value of the cards you hold.

Another benefit of being in position is that you have a better chance of controlling the size of the pot, which is often based on the strength of your hand and your overall goal in the pot.

Being out of position to one or more opponents gives them the ability to control the pot size and also capitalize on the added information of knowing your actions first.

Bluffing in Omaha Poker

Because Omaha is so focused on the nuts, it might seem like bluffing plays an important role in the game.

A player can represent a wider range of hands in Omaha, and also open up with a bit more with so many more semi-bluffs available.

In fact, experienced Omaha players will often bet big draws heavily on the flop, since in some cases those draws are actually mathematical favorites versus made hands.

All of which is to say players do bluff in pot-limit Omaha, but with so many possible hands out there you have to be judicious when deciding when it is best to bluff.

The more you learn about the game, the easier it will become to pick up on these spots and determine how to proceed against various opponents.

Be Wary of the Blockers

Relatedly, blockers also become much more prevalent in Omaha than in Texas hold'em.

Blockers are those cards you hold in your hand that prevent an opponent from making a specific hand.

For example, if a board reads K♠10♠5♥2♠4♦ and you hold the A♠ in your hand but no other spades, you may not have a flush, but you know your opponent cannot make the nut flush.

This gives you added power in the hand being able to push your opponent off certain hands as your opponent is guaranteed to not contain the nuts.

5. Where to Play Omaha Poker Games Online

Like you would expect for a popular game like Omaha poker, you'll find PLO games at all the major poker sites online.

All the 'must-have' poker rooms listed below offer a very good selection of PLO games, with plenty of beginner-friendly free games.

Pick one of them, register a free account, and use the PokerNews-exclusive welcome bonus to pay for your first real money games of Omaha poker online.

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Omaha Rules Four Of A Kind

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The game basics and strategies for how to play Omaha Poker shown here are those generally agreed to and recommended by the experts for bet limit games. An understanding of these basics is needed for all levels of competitive play. Solid intermediate and expert level poker normally requires study of the advanced game tactics and significant hours of actual casino or online playing experience.

Limit Omaha Poker Rules - 2 to 10 Players

• Highest hand wins
• Players MUST use TWO of their hole cards combined with three from the board to make their hands
• Ace plays both high and low for straights
• Three raise limit per round
• Cards speak

The image below depicts the card distribution and betting procedure for Omaha Holdem.

How to play $2/$4 Omaha with a double blind:

At casino Omaha tables, a round plastic marker called the dealer 'button' is placed in front of the player who would be dealing if a house dealer were not provided. The button is moved one seat clockwise after each game and the card distribution and betting starts to the left of that position.

Each player is dealt four cards face down. Then, a total of five community cards are dealt face up in the center of the table in three betting segments (3-1-1). After all the cards are dealt the players make the best hand that they can by combining any two of their two hole cards with any three of the five community cards.

Using the illustration above, a player holding a jack and an eight would end up with the best possible full house, jacks over eights. However, this good hand can be beaten if another player is holding the 'nut hand' cards of six and seven of hearts that would make an eight high straight flush.

The betting procedure goes like this:

Before each player is dealt four down cards (1.) the player at the immediate left of the button, called the 'Small Blind' is forced to bet $1 (half the minimum bet). Then the player to his left and two seats to the left of the button, called the 'Big Blind', is forced to bet $2. Each player is then dealt a four card hand. Then the player at the left of the big blind is first to act and he must either call the big blind's $2 bet, raise, or fold his hand. Continuing in turn clockwise, all the players around the table either call, raise or fold.

When the betting gets back around to the small blind, he or she can fold and lose only the half minimum bet of $1 placed earlier, call the amount necessary to get up to the betting level or raise $2 if there is a raise left.

The big blind is then the last to act before any cards are turned up in the middle. The blinds are played in the first round only.

(2.) The dealer turns three cards up in the center of the table. This is the 'Flop'. The player at the left of the button is then always the first to act. There are no more forced bets and the players can all check around if they want to. Bets right after the flop are at the $2 minimum bet level.

(3.) Now comes the 'Turn' card followed by more betting that now goes to the $4 level.

(4.) Finally the last, or 'River' card is turned up. The last $4 betting round takes place. Then the players still in the contest reveal their hole cards and the highest hand wins the pot.

General Strategy

In full ring, limit Omaha, it usually takes the 'nut' hand, or something close to that, to win! For our purpose here, we describe the 'nut' as a hand that can only be beaten by hidden quads and straight flushes. These killer hands are usually referred to as the 'pure' nuts. Two pair and trips don't win very often in this game. You need to shoot for the nut straight, nut flush, or nut full house most of the time.

This is why Omaha players all start with four cards. Each four card hand contains six Hold'em hands when the four cards are converted to all possible combinations of two. i.e. ABCD = AB AC AD BC BD CD (Players must play two cards from their hands and three from the board). If you are in a pot with five other players after the flop, it is sort of comparable to a Texas Hold'em game against thirty other players, because each of your five competitors is holding six Hold'em hands instead of one.

So if you get down to the river with a very good hand, but one that can be beaten by some other two card combinations, brace yourself for a loss because they are likely to be out there somewhere. Your high end straight on the flop runs into serious problems when the board turns up three suited cards or a pair. A flush or a full house will usually pop up to beat you. In Omaha, always play for the NUT!

Just one or two good hold'em hands is usually not a very good starting hand in Omaha but many players cannot resist the urge to play them. With four cards to choose from, these kinds of hands are easy to get and Omaha games normally have more players and bigger pots than in Hold'em. The higher payoffs work to your advantage when you usually start with hands that contain four cards that all interact with each other to make about five or six decent Hold'em hands instead of only one or two.

You will see a few exceptions to this here in the starting hands strategy.

Definitions

High Cards

A, K, Q, J, 10

Middle Cards

9, 8, 7, 6

Low Cards

5, 4, 3, 2

Suited Player Hand(s)

Two of the players four cards of the same suit.

Double Suited Player Hand(s)

Two of the players cards of one suit and two of another suit.

Active Sidecard

Sidecard that when combined with another makes two parts of a straight or flush.

Nut Hand

An unbeatable high or low hand. Sometimes called a 'lock'.

Set

Three of a kind with two of the three in your hand. (Four of a kind split two and two is a 'Quad Set')

Trips

Three of a kind with all or two of the three on the board.

Rainbow

Hand or flop etc. with cards of all different suits.

Flop Turn River

The community cards in the order of distribution. See top illustration.

Fast Play

Bet, raise and re-raise to get as many other players out as possible.

Slow Play

Just check or call along to keep other players in the game to increase the pot odds.

Check-fold

Check when you can and fold if you are bet into. Gladly accept all free cards offered.

The Best Omaha Starting Hand

This top ranked Omaha hand contains 4 Premium and 2 Strong Holdem hands:
Note: In this case, the 2 'Strong' hands do not add value.

Omaha Rules 4 Of A Kindergarten

Your starting Play/Fold decisions will involve a quick assessment of the hand type and the six Hold'em hands in your four card Omaha hand. The playable starting hands suggested are a good place to start. These are not hard and fast rules about what to play or not, but a generalization of expert opinions and computerized hand value results that you can use as a guide.

4 Of A Kind In Omaha

Two Card Hold'em Hands to Look For in Omaha Hands

Premium Hands

High Pair - AA, KK, QQ, JJ, 1010
Ace and High Card Suited - AK(S), AQ(S), AJ(S), A10(S)

Omaha Rules 4 Of A Kindle

Strong Hands

High Cards Suited - KQ(S), KJ(S), K10(S), QJ(S), Q10(S), J10(S)
Middle Pairs - 99, 88, 77, 66
Two High Cards - AK, AQ, AJ, A10, KQ, KJ, K10, QJ, Q10, J10
Ace and Middle Card Suited - A9(S), A8(S), A7(S) A6(S)
Middle Suited Connectors - 10 9(S), 98(S), 87(S), 76(S)

Minimum Hands

Low Pairs - 55, 44, 33, 22
Ace and Low Card Suited - A5(S), A4(S), A3(S), A2(S)
Any Two Cards to a Straight - i.e. 10 6, 98, 75, 73, A4 - Note: Most in this category are normally not playable in regular Holdem, but they do add value in combination Omaha hands.

Throw-Away Starting Hands

These hands should be automatically folded without any further consideration:
Quads - (including) A A A A
Trips - (except A A A with a high side card suited is sometimes playable)

Playable Omaha Starting Hands

Pair of Aces - A A x x
Pair of Kings - K K x x
High Pair and Ace Suited - Qh Qs Ah x .. Jh Js Ad 6d
High Pair and Middle / Low Pair - J J 7 7 .. Q Q 4 4
High Pair and Two or more Other Hands - J J 9 7 .. K 10 10 8
Any Four High Cards - K Q J 10 .. A K J 10 .. Q Q 10 10 .. A J J 10 .. (includes two high pair)
Three High Cards w Ace Suited - Ah Qs 10h x .. Ah Ks Jd 5h
Three High Cards and Active Sidecard - K Q J 8 .. Ah Qs 10d 4h
Three Card Straight with a Pair - 7 6 5 5 .. 9 8 7 8 .. 6 5 4 6
Three Card Straight and an Ace Suited - 8h 7s 6d Ah .. Ah 9s 8d 7h
Close Group with Two Gaps or Less - J 10 7 6 .. 8 7 6 5 .. 9 8 5 4.. 9 7 6 4 .. J 10 8 6

Strategy Tips

• Stay aware of the nut hand possibilities. As the board develops, make sure that you always know what the three best hand possibilities are, and how that might change on the next card.
• High pair with an overcard is a good flop in Hold'em but not in Omaha. In this game you need to flop two pair, a set, or better.
• Usually don't raise before the flop unless you are holding Aces or Kings and are in position to narrow the field. Another time to raise is when you are unraised on the button and have a strong hand. Try not to let the blinds play bad hands cheap.
• Fold your straight or straight draw if that's all you have and you don't flop an unpaired rainbow. If you do get the right kind of flop, bet/raise to discourage the back door flush draws.
• Don't over value low pairs. A pair of fours in your starting hand is only useful if it flops a set, but then a low set on the flop is not a very strong hand in Omaha.
• Study your opponents, especially when you are not playing hands and can pay careful attention. Do they find more hands to play than they fold? Do they bluff? Can they be bluffed? Do they have any 'tells' (give away mannerisms) that disclose information about their hands etc.
• Get caught bluffing once in a while. It is a way to vary your play and not be too predictable. You win pots that you don't deserve when your bluff works. You lose a few chips when it doesn't work but it will get you calls from weaker hands down the line when you are really strong and need the action.
• Check the raisers chips. Players that are close to all-in often rush the betting just to get all their chips in a sink-or-swim last hand that doesn't merit a raise.

Omaha Rules 4 Of A Kindness

Have fun and GOOD LUCK!