Poker Dynamic

One of the most frustrating parts about Texas Hold ‘Em poker is waiting for a good hand. New players often find it hard to sit at one table for hours upon hours before getting a big hand like they see on TV. Texas Hold ‘Em requires lots of patience and most players won’t get hands like pocket aces or kings once during a given night of play. Those looking for a more active game should try out Omaha Hi Poker.

The same basic rules apply from Texas Hold ‘Em to Omaha Hi with a couple of tweaks. Instead of two cards each, every player gets four cards in his or her hand. There are also five community cards that are dealt the same way as in Texas.

Unlike Texas Hold ‘Em, however, each player must use exactly two cards in his hand and three cards from the community. For instance, say the community cards are five, five, ten, ten, ace. You have ten, nine, eight, seven in your hand. Now with Texas Hold ‘Em rules, you would have a full house tens over fives. But in Omaha rules, since you have to use exactly two cards in your hand, you would have three of a kind tens.

Most novice Omaha players make the mistake of forgetting the above rule at least once or twice in their first couple of rounds. Do your best to avoid it. Thinking you have a better hand than you have will almost always end up costing you money/chips at the table.

In fact, before you even consider going to a casino, make sure you understand the rule fully. I’ve had friends who have read this rule, understood it, and still made the cardinal error. Play a couple of friendly games with friends experienced in the game or try out free online programs that allow you to play against other people across the internet. After all, its better to be prepared than out of money.

Filed under: Omaha Hi