Quebec 2001 Poker Room

Often thought of as the lesser sibling of Texas Hold ‘Em, Omaha Hold ‘Em actually offers players a unique, complicated and rewarding rule set for a game of poker, one that I mostly prefer to the other.

The PokerStars.com rules are quick to learn if you’re already familiar with Texas. Instead of two hidden cards per player and 5 community cards, each player receives 4 hidden cards to use in combination with 5 community cards. However, you must use 2 cards from your hand and 3 cards from the middle.

It’s because of this that you have to stay on top of your hand and remember you’re building your hand with only two cards out of what you have in front of you, especially if you’re new to the game. It’ll feel weird to limit yourself to the choices you have, but those are the rules. I can’t tell you how many times someone at PokerStars.com lost a bundle thinking they had a hand that they didn’t.

A positive of this game for new players is you can win money without having to put up as much cash as you would in Texas Hold ‘Em – on low limit tables that is. And that’s assuming you do your homework on PokerStar.it and make smart plays, and only play good hands, the odds eventually will work in your favor as you claim pots over more players with similar inexperience but likely less discipline or game-intelligence, something you’re likely to run across far more frequently in Omaha than you are in Texas Hold ‘Em. If you want to win money, use that to your advantage.

Something else to remember as you play Omaha on PokerStars – you’re given much more information than in Texas earlier in the hand. You have 4 out of a possible 9 cards known to you before the initial bets, and 7 of 9 after the flop. That affords you the ability to generally know what you’re hand is going to amount to, as well as others, and move through the game accordingly.

One last basic tip. Bet your initial hand. Most of Omaha is won and lost with that 4-card hidden hand before the flop. If you have garbage, do not play it. Let someone else go in on a hunch that the inside straight will come up…or bank on the fact that someone will get excited to see trips in their hand and then realize after the fact that the third one is worthless. Play smart, play the odds, play on PokerStars.net and you’ll win at low-limit Omaha.