How to play Omaha: the rules
Omaha looks like Hold'em, but two small rule changes flip the whole game. Learn the deal, the sacred "use two, use three" rule, and how a hand plays to showdown.
Hold'em, plus two extra hole cards
Same 52-card deck, same blinds, same flop-turn-river. One change: each player gets four private cards instead of two. Goal is unchanged — make the best five-card hand.
In Pot-Limit Omaha you must use EXACTLY two of your four hole cards. What is your best 5-card hand here?
The order of play
Same rhythm as Hold'em: post blinds, deal four cards, then four betting rounds — pre-flop, flop, turn, river. Action moves clockwise, one card at a time on the board.
Read it: pick two, then pick three
Hold A♠K♠Q♥J♦ (that's the ace and king of spades, queen of hearts, jack of diamonds) on a 10♥9♣2♦8♣7♠ board? Take Q♥J♦ from your hand + 10♥9♣8♣ from the board = a straight (five cards in a row). Your A♠K♠ do nothing here.
You must play EXACTLY two of your four hole cards plus three from the board. Which two of your cards play here?
Pot-Limit betting (the PL in PLO)
You can never just shove. The most you may bet or raise is the current size of the pot; the minimum is the big blind. A full sibling lesson covers the exact pot-size math.
Showdown
Survivors show down. Each makes their best five-card hand using exactly two hole cards + three board cards; standard rankings apply, highest wins. Hands run bigger than in Hold'em.
- Omaha deals FOUR hole cards; deck, blinds, board, and rankings match Hold'em.
- Use EXACTLY two hole cards and EXACTLY three board cards — never more, never fewer.
- Four cards of one suit is not a flush and actually lowers your flush odds.
- PLO is pot-limit: the biggest bet or raise allowed is the current pot size.
- Bigger starting hands mean bigger winning hands — chase the nuts, not second-best.
Test yourself
Answer them all — 20/24 to pass. Every answer gets an explanation.
How many private (hole) cards is each player dealt in Omaha?
Omaha deals four hole cards to each player, versus two in Texas Hold'em.
How many of your hole cards must you use to make your final hand?
The defining rule of Omaha is that you use exactly two hole cards — no more, no fewer.
How many community cards must you use to make your final hand?
You combine exactly two hole cards with exactly three of the five community cards.
How many community cards are on the board in total by the river?
Like Hold'em, Omaha has five community cards: a three-card flop, the turn, and the river.
You hold A♠ K♠ 8♠ 4♠ (four spades). The board has two spades. Do you have a flush?
You use exactly two hole cards, so a flush requires three cards of that suit on the board.
What betting format is standard for Omaha?
Omaha is most commonly played Pot-Limit, which is why it's abbreviated PLO.
Which of these is the SAME in Omaha as in Texas Hold'em?
Standard poker hand rankings are identical; the hole-card count and pot-limit structure differ.
You hold A♥ A♠ K♥ K♠ and the board is A♦ 5♣ 9♠ 2♥ 7♣. What is your best hand?
With two aces in your hand (A♥ A♠) plus the board's A♦, you use exactly two hole cards + three board cards to make a set of aces (trip aces) — which beats a pair.
Which two players post blinds before the deal?
The small blind and big blind are posted by the two seats immediately left of the dealer button.
How many betting rounds are there in a hand of Omaha?
Betting occurs pre-flop, on the flop, on the turn, and on the river — four rounds.
Who acts first pre-flop?
Pre-flop, action starts with the player directly to the left of the big blind.
Why do winning hands tend to be bigger in Omaha than in Hold'em?
Four hole cards give each player far more two-card combinations, so stronger hands appear more often.
You hold 7♥ 7♠ 6♥ 6♠ and the board is 7♦ 6♣ 2♠ 2♥ 9♣. What's your best hand?
Using 7♥ 7♠ (two cards) with 7♦ and the paired twos on the board makes 7-7-7-2-2 — sevens full of twos. Your 6-6 can't also play (only three board cards allowed).
Can you play a flush using three or four suited cards from your own hand?
The exactly-two rule means at most two of your hole cards contribute to any flush.
The board is 8♠ 8♥ 8♦ K♣ 2♠. You hold 8♣ A♠ A♥ Q♦. What is your best hand?
Your 8♣ plus any of your other cards, combined with the three board eights, makes quad eights.
After the river, if two players remain, how is the winner decided?
At showdown the best five-card hand, formed with exactly two hole and three board cards, wins.
You hold A♥ A♠ 2♣ 7♦ and the board is A♦ A♣ K♥ K♠ Q♠. What's your best hand?
Your two aces plus the two board aces make four aces; you still use exactly two hole cards.
On which streets do the turn and river appear?
The turn is the fourth community card and the river is the fifth and final one.
What is the minimum bet in a Pot-Limit Omaha game?
As in most flop games, the minimum bet is the size of the big blind.
You hold K♠ K♥ 3♣ 4♦ and the board is K♦ Q♣ Q♥ 7♠ 2♥. Best hand?
K♠ K♥ plus the board king gives three kings, and the paired queens complete a full house.
Which best describes 'the nuts' in Omaha?
The nuts is the strongest hand possible for the current board — crucial in Omaha where big hands are common.
In Pot-Limit Omaha, what is the maximum you can bet or raise?
In pot-limit, the largest legal bet or raise equals the size of the pot.
You hold Q♠ J♠ 4♥ 3♦ and the board is 10♠ 9♠ 2♠ 5♣ K♦. What is your best hand?
Two hole spades (Q♠ J♠) plus the three board spades make a queen-high flush.
Which statement about the flop in Omaha is correct?
The flop is the first three shared community cards, dealt face up after pre-flop betting.
Review — all 24 questions & answers tap to expand
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How many private (hole) cards is each player dealt in Omaha?
Answer Four
Omaha deals four hole cards to each player, versus two in Texas Hold'em.
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How many of your hole cards must you use to make your final hand?
Answer Exactly two
The defining rule of Omaha is that you use exactly two hole cards — no more, no fewer.
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How many community cards must you use to make your final hand?
Answer Exactly three
You combine exactly two hole cards with exactly three of the five community cards.
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How many community cards are on the board in total by the river?
Answer Five
Like Hold'em, Omaha has five community cards: a three-card flop, the turn, and the river.
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You hold A♠ K♠ 8♠ 4♠ (four spades). The board has two spades. Do you have a flush?
Answer No — you can only use two hole cards, so you'd need three spades on the board
You use exactly two hole cards, so a flush requires three cards of that suit on the board.
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What betting format is standard for Omaha?
Answer Pot-Limit
Omaha is most commonly played Pot-Limit, which is why it's abbreviated PLO.
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Which of these is the SAME in Omaha as in Texas Hold'em?
Answer The hand rankings (royal flush down to high card)
Standard poker hand rankings are identical; the hole-card count and pot-limit structure differ.
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You hold A♥ A♠ K♥ K♠ and the board is A♦ 5♣ 9♠ 2♥ 7♣. What is your best hand?
Answer Three aces (a set), using both aces in hand plus the board ace
With two aces in your hand (A♥ A♠) plus the board's A♦, you use exactly two hole cards + three board cards to make a set of aces (trip aces) — which beats a pair.
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Which two players post blinds before the deal?
Answer The two players to the left of the button
The small blind and big blind are posted by the two seats immediately left of the dealer button.
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How many betting rounds are there in a hand of Omaha?
Answer Four
Betting occurs pre-flop, on the flop, on the turn, and on the river — four rounds.
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Who acts first pre-flop?
Answer The player to the left of the big blind
Pre-flop, action starts with the player directly to the left of the big blind.
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Why do winning hands tend to be bigger in Omaha than in Hold'em?
Answer Because each player has four hole cards, creating more possible combinations
Four hole cards give each player far more two-card combinations, so stronger hands appear more often.
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You hold 7♥ 7♠ 6♥ 6♠ and the board is 7♦ 6♣ 2♠ 2♥ 9♣. What's your best hand?
Answer A full house, sevens full of twos
Using 7♥ 7♠ (two cards) with 7♦ and the paired twos on the board makes 7-7-7-2-2 — sevens full of twos. Your 6-6 can't also play (only three board cards allowed).
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Can you play a flush using three or four suited cards from your own hand?
Answer No — you can only ever use two hole cards
The exactly-two rule means at most two of your hole cards contribute to any flush.
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The board is 8♠ 8♥ 8♦ K♣ 2♠. You hold 8♣ A♠ A♥ Q♦. What is your best hand?
Answer Four eights, using your 8♣ with the three board eights plus your ace
Your 8♣ plus any of your other cards, combined with the three board eights, makes quad eights.
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After the river, if two players remain, how is the winner decided?
Answer The highest five-card hand (two hole + three board) wins at showdown
At showdown the best five-card hand, formed with exactly two hole and three board cards, wins.
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You hold A♥ A♠ 2♣ 7♦ and the board is A♦ A♣ K♥ K♠ Q♠. What's your best hand?
Answer Four aces plus a king kicker
Your two aces plus the two board aces make four aces; you still use exactly two hole cards.
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On which streets do the turn and river appear?
Answer Turn is the 4th community card, river is the 5th
The turn is the fourth community card and the river is the fifth and final one.
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What is the minimum bet in a Pot-Limit Omaha game?
Answer The big blind
As in most flop games, the minimum bet is the size of the big blind.
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You hold K♠ K♥ 3♣ 4♦ and the board is K♦ Q♣ Q♥ 7♠ 2♥. Best hand?
Answer Kings full of queens (full house)
K♠ K♥ plus the board king gives three kings, and the paired queens complete a full house.
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Which best describes 'the nuts' in Omaha?
Answer The best possible hand given the current board
The nuts is the strongest hand possible for the current board — crucial in Omaha where big hands are common.
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In Pot-Limit Omaha, what is the maximum you can bet or raise?
Answer The current size of the pot
In pot-limit, the largest legal bet or raise equals the size of the pot.
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You hold Q♠ J♠ 4♥ 3♦ and the board is 10♠ 9♠ 2♠ 5♣ K♦. What is your best hand?
Answer A spade flush, using Q♠ J♠ plus the three board spades
Two hole spades (Q♠ J♠) plus the three board spades make a queen-high flush.
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Which statement about the flop in Omaha is correct?
Answer The flop is three community cards dealt face up
The flop is the first three shared community cards, dealt face up after pre-flop betting.