OMAHA
Omaha is a form of hold'em. The game is commonly played at a nine- or 10-handed table. The betting and blinds rules are exactly the same as hold'em.
Each player starts with four hole cards, and then the dealer places five cards face-up in the center of the table. These community cards are part of each player's hand, so each player has access to seven cards. The difference between Omaha and hold'em is that each player forms a five-card hand by using only two (no more, no less, but they can be any two) of his hole cards together with only three (no more, no less, but they can be any three) of the five community cards. Many more winning combinations are possible than in hold'em. At the showdown on the end, the player holding the best five-card combination that adheres to the preceding restrictions wins the pot. If only one player remains at the end of any round of betting, that player wins the pot.
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Omaha has four rounds of betting:
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The dealer gives each player four cards face down ( preflop round). Only you can see your hole cards. The first round of betting commences.
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The dealer deals three cards face up in the center of the table (the flop ). Players still in the hand participate in a round of betting.
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The dealer deals one card face up in the center of the table (the turn ). Players still in the hand participate in a round of betting.
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The dealer deals a final card face up in the center of the table (the river ). Players still in the hand participate in a final round of betting.
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After the final round of betting has been equalized, the software awards the pot to the holder of the best hand, and a new hand begins.
Each new hand begins with two players putting preliminary bets, known as blinds , into the pot. The player to the left of the button (deal position) puts in chips generally equivalent to half the minimum bet for the first round of betting ( small blind ), while the next player to the left puts in chips equivalent to the minimum bet for the first round of betting ( big blind ). For example, in a $2/$4 limit game, the small blind would be $1 and the big blind $2.
When you first sit down at a table, you must wait for the big blind to arrive at your position. This happens naturally, because the button moves clockwise each hand. Alternatively, to get dealt in immediately, you can post , that is, put in a blind the same size as the big blind. If you post, you get dealt in on succeeding hands.
The software prompts you whether to post, when to put up the blinds, when it is your turn to bet, and presents the choices for that bet (including the option to check or fold, as appropriate). To speed things up, you can select "Auto-Post Blinds," and your blinds are posted for you without prompting you. Additionally, during any round of betting, if it is not yet your turn, you can select your betting action in advance using the "Advanced Actions" buttons that appear in the lower right portion of the screen when you are involved in a hand.
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