Omaha High Rules

Pot limit Omaha tends to be the second game that players learn how to play after learning how to play Texas Hold’em. And of course, this makes sense because the two games are identical in the format that is used as well as 95% of the rules. So for those of you that are ready to learn a new game, we have listed all the rules for pot limit Omaha below.

How to Play Pot Limit Omaha High

Before the cards are dealt, the first player to the left of the dealer will make a forced bet that is half the size of the big blind. This is known as the small blind. The player two seats to the left of the dealer button or directly to the left of the small blind is known as the big blind. The big blind will have to put out a forced bet equal to the size big blind.

After the blinds are posted, the dealer will then deal cards 1 at a time starting with the small blind and continue clockwise until all players have 4 cards faced down.

Once all players have 4 cards dealt to them, the player who is to the left of the big blind, also know as the player under the gun, will be first to act. This player will have the option to fold his hand, call the big blind, or raise. The raise must be at least the size of the big blind but no bigger than the size of the current pot.

Tip #1 – the pot is the amount of chips currently in the middle of the table. But there are some peculiar details: if you are first in the pot pre-flop and want to raise the size of the pot, you have to consider your call first to calculate it. Example: Blinds are $10/$20. You are first player to act and want to “bet the pot”. In the middle there are $30 from the blinds, but you consider your call first ($20) before calculating te size of the pot. Moreover, although the small blind has invested $10, his bet is considered $20 to calculate the pot. In the end, you could raise up to $80 here ($20 to call and $60 to bet the pot).

The action will continue after the player under the gun has acted clockwise around the table until it reaches the big blind. If a previous player were to make a raise, that would be the minimum that would have to be contributed from each player to see a flop. Or they could fold or re-raise. Once it reaches the small blind, the small blind could fold, raise, or call the difference between what they already contributed to the pot and the current bet. Since the big blind already put the initial bet into the pot, the big blind would not have to contribute any more money to the pot as long as the betting did not increase. This is referred to as ‘checking their option’. If someone raised, though, the big blind would have to call it to continue on the hand

Once the first betting round is done, the dealer that flips over three community cards known as the flop.

After the flop, another betting round starts. Starting with the player at the left side of the button, each player will have the choice to check, call a previous bet, fold or raise. As previously mentioned, the limit of the bets is the current pot size.

When the betting round on the flop is finished, the dealer will then turn over the 4th community card known as the turn or 4th street.

Again, starting with the small blind, players will have the option to check, raise, call a previous bet or fold.

The last street, the river or 5th street, is then dealt once the betting round for the turn has finished. Players will now have to make the best 5 card poker hand and are required to use 2 of their 4 starting cards and 3 of the community cards.

After 5th street is dealt, the last betting round will begin, beginning with the small blind. Players will have the option to check, raise, call a previous bet or fold.

The player who has the best high 5-card hand after all betting rounds will be the winner.

Tip #2 – probably the most common mistake of the beginner on PLO is to forget this rule: you MUST use two cards from your hand. This is different from Texas Holdem, in which you can use from zero to two cards of your initial hand. In PLO High you don’t have this choice.

It is important to note that the hand is not required to go through all the rounds. Meaning, if a player bets enough to force all the players to fold at any time, they will win the pot without having to show their cards. This can happen pre-flop, on the flop, on the turn or on the river.

Once the hand is finished, the dealer button will move one seat to the left and the game starts all over again from the top.

Tip #3 – If you know the game of Texas Holdem and is beginning on Omaha, you have to adjust your concept of a powerful hand. In Omaha, pots are commonly contested by Straights versus a set, set with flush draw versus a straight, higher full house versus lower full-house, or even quads versus full-house. You usually need powerful hands to win at Omaha, since your opponents get four cards too!

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