Omaha Poker Combinations

Table Of Contents

Hi, Could anyone please explain to me how Im couting different combinations in omaha. In holdem A9 has 16 combos. How many A9xx combos is there in omah. The greater number of Omaha poker combinations naturally leads to more opportunities to play hands and thus more opportunities for players to gamble and get involved. This is why Omaha is often played as part of the biggest mixed games in the world, with some of the best players out there being experts of the format.

So for Holdem/omaha/any poker type purposes, we're going to count this as ONE combination. So all we have to do is figure out the TOTAL possible combinations and then divide by 6. So, to figure out the total possible combinations we can make of three cards containing 1 king, 1 queen, and 1 jack, from a deck containing four of each of those. If you’ve become accustomed to using implied odds to bolster your drawing rationale in other forms of poker, temper their use in Omaha. Reading opponents’ hands becomes a real challenge in Omaha due to the multiple combinations of each four card starting hand.

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?

Omaha Poker Combinations

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.

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 AQ76 looks at a board of 942JQ 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.

Omaha Poker Combinations Game

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.

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.

Omaha Poker Combinations Games

Yu have been dealt 10987 and by the river the board is 79KJ2.

Combinations

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 JJ99 on a board of 9KQ53.

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.

Omaha Poker Combinations List

There is also a flush possibility, meaning anyone with XXXxXx (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.

Omaha Poker Card Combinations

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.

Omaha Poker Combinations Poker

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 K10524 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.

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You need poker combinations for good orientation in your pocket cards and cards on flop, turn and river.

The video below describes the information in more detail.

The whole list of poker combinations by seniority in Texas Hold’em are below:

Royal Flush

Royal Flush is the strongest poker combination. It includes five suited cards from ten to ace. All suits are equal in poker therefor heart royal flush equivalent spades as well as clubs and diamonds

Straight Flush

Straight Flush – it’s five consecutive suited cards. For example, straight flush with Queen high. If two or more players got straight flush then person with higher card will win. Example: straight flush with queen high (like on the picture) will bit straight flush with jack high.

Four of a Kind

Four of a Kind – this poker combination includes four cards of the same kind.

In this example we can see four of eighths with five (remember that all poker combinations require five cards). When two or more players get four of a kind then the winner is who has higher cards. For example, four of nines will beat four of eighths. If few players get the same rank four of a kind, (it’s possible when on the board there are combination Four of a Kind) then the winner will be person who has highest fifth card. For example, four of eighths and five will lose to four of eighths and king.

Full House

Full House – this poker combination includes three of a kind plus pair. Rank of three of a kind defines strength of combination. Thus three of jacks with pair of fives will beat our combination (three of tens and pair of fives). If players got same high of three of a kind then the winner will be who’s got higher kind of pair.

Flush

Flush – five suited cards no matter what kind and any sequences. If two or more players get flush, then the winner will be who has highest card. If both players get the same highest card then second, third, fourth or even fifth card will be compared relatively.

Straight

Straight – this poker combination includes five consecutive cards off suits. Our example shows straight with jack high. If few players got straights then who will win again will the highest card define. Straight from six to ten would lose to our combination. But straight from ten to ace will beat us. Also, you have to remember that an ace could be counted as lowest of a kind in combination like straight from ace to five. And this combination will lose to straight from two to six.

Three of a Kind

Three of a Kind – three of a kind or set - these are three cards of the same kind and two random cards. Set of seventh will beat our poker combination of three of fives, as well as three of a nines will beat set of seventh and so on. If players got the same kind of sets then the highest card of two random left will define who is the winner. If the highest card are also equal then second of random cards will be compared. So, set of fives with jack and eight will beat our combination of three of fives with nine and three.

Two-pair

Two pair – This combination includes two cards of one kind plus other two cards of another kind and one more card. If few players got two pair combs then the highest pair will win. When the highest pair is equal then seconds pairs will be compared. For example, pair of aces and pair of sixes will beat our combination. If both players get the same kind of both pairs then they will compare fifth card. Thus, pair of kings and pair of sixes with four will beat our poker combination.

One-pair

One pair – it combination from one pair and three random cards. If few players get a pair then the highest pair will win. For example, pair of tens will beat our combination. When players got the same kind of pairs then they will compare who has the highest card from the rest three. Therefor pair of eights with an ace, nine and two will beat our comb.

High-card

High card. When poker combination misses all categories from above it will be evaluated by the highest card you have got. In this case, we have got Queen the highest card. If players get the same highest card then the value of second, third, fourth and, if needed, even fifth will be compared. Like combination from Queen, ten, nine, five and four will beat our comb.

The main goal of poker game is to get winning combination from five cards; moreover, in each kind of poker the winning combinations could be significantly different.

The most popular poker of all it is Hold’em poker. In it, we use cards high combinations by seniority. There are ten of them. The higher comb the better for player.

Same combinations are in Omaha poker, Dro poker and in game calls Seven Card Stud.

There are new generations of poker games as well exciting and interesting as old ones but radically different from traditional kinds. Like, for example, in some kind Omaha and Stud pokers the winning combinations are not the highest ones but a poker combination calls “from ace to five”, that is combination of the lowest cards of all. Same kind low cards combinations you can find useful in game like Razz.

In some poker games, winning hands are low hand like five cards from two to seven.

Also, the latest poker game calls Badugi in which there are unique combinations. You won’t find them winning in any other poker games.