Last updated on April 12th, 2023
Play Omaha Poker online in New Jersey
Omaha Poker is a very interesting take on the traditional Texas Hold’em poker game known and loved the world over. Players are dealt more cards in Omaha which, in theory, presents more of a chance to make a strong hand.
Best Omaha Poker Rooms in New Jersey
Omaha Poker is a very interesting take on the traditional Texas Hold’em poker game known and loved the world over. Players are dealt more cards in Omaha which, in theory, presents more of a chance to make a strong hand. Due to this, Omaha poker online has become a very popular choice for online casino enthusiasts. The excitement of beating other players at the table is a different kind of buzz to just beating the house and that adds an extra level of enjoyment to it. In this guide, we tell you everything you need to know about Omaha including where to play, the best apps to download, how to play Omaha poker and more.
Best Poker Apps to Download and Play Omaha Poker
If you want to play Omaha poker on the move, the best way to do so is to download a dedicated poker app. But which ones are the best to download in the state of New Jersey? We’ll name our top three below.
- PartyPoker App
- WSOP App
How to Play Omaha Poker
If you’re new and wondering how to play Omaha poker, we’ve got you covered. Our guide gives you the lowdown on everything you need to know. Firstly, all players are dealt four “hole” cards. Nobody else at the table can see these cards, only you. Up to five “community cards” are then dealt face up. The aim is to make the best five card hand possible using exactly two of the cards you’ve been dealt and exactly three of the community cards. The possible winning hands are all the same as in Texas Hold’em Poker or Live Holdem. For your benefit, the ranking of winning hands, from best to worst, is as follows:
- Royal Flush
- Straight Flush
- Four of a kind
- Full house
- Flush
- Straight
- Three of a kind
- Two pair
- Pair
- High card
As with other forms of poker, there are various betting rounds in which you are required to at least check or call to progress. If you’re confident you have the winning hand, you can raise to tempt other players to increase the amount in the pot.
Differences between Omaha Poker and Texas Hold’em Poker
Omah poker and Texas Hold’em are similar in lots of ways, but what are the differences between the two? We’ll outline the main ones below.
- Hole cards – in Omaha, you are dealt four hole cards, whereas you are only dealt two in Texas Hold’em.
- Use of cards – you must use two (and only two) of your hole cards in Omaha poker. In Hold’em, you don’t even have to use any of the cards you were dealt (although this is not advised!)
- Betting structure – both games can be played with any betting structure, however Omaha is more commonly played with a Pot Limit, whereas No-limit is more popular in Hold’em.
These differences are subtle enough that if you were to play and become proficient in one variation, you’d be just as comfortable playing the other. For poker beginners, Omaha could be the better option, as the additional two hole cards give you a better chance of landing a big hand.
Top 20 Starting Hands in Omaha Poker
In Omaha there is more emphasis on the quality of the cards that you are dealt initially in the game. As a result, there is a set ranking of hands that you can receive. We’ll outline the top 20 Omaha poker hands below:
- A-A-K-K
- A-A-J-T
- A-A-Q-Q
- A-A-J-J
- A-A-T-T
- A-A-9-9
- A-A-x-x
- J-T-9-8
- K-K-Q-Q
- K-K-J-J
- K-Q-J-T
- K-K-T-T
- K-K-A-Q
- K-K-A-J
- K-K-A-T
- K-K-Q-J
- K-K-Q-T
- K-K-J-T
- Q-Q-J-J
- Q-Q-T-T
All of the above are considered the best possible hands when they are double suited (e.g. two cards of one suit, and two cards of another).
Limit Variants of Omaha Poker
When you play Omaha poker online, you’ll have to choose a limit variant to play. When it comes to Omaha, there are three variants that have differing limits and they are:
- Pot Limit Omaha – as the name suggests, this is a variant in which bets are limited relative to the size of the pot. In Pot Limit Omaha, the minimum bet is the same size as the big blind, but players can raise up to a maximum of the total value of the pot. For example, if the pot size is $100, then the most a player is able to raise is $100.
- No Limit Omaha – more or less the opposite of Pot Limit. In No Limit Omaha, the minimum bet is still the size of the big blind, however there is no limit to the maximum bet that is allowed to be placed. This would be the preferred version for high rollers.
- Fixed Limit Omaha – the betting in Fixed Limit Omaha poker is in pre-determined, structured amounts. Pre-flop and on the flop, all bets and raises are limited to the same amount as the big blind. On the turn and the river, the size of all bets and raises doubles (x2). In Fixed Limit Omaha, up to four bets are allowed per player during each betting round. This includes a bet, raise, re-raise, and the cap (final raise).
Other Omaha Poker Variants
There’s not just limit variants either, there are also different variations of the game that have slightly different rules, less or more cards and other differences. The main Omaha poker variants are:
- Omaha Hi – the most common format played in New Jersey. The pot is won by the player with the best five card hand from two hole cards and three community cards.
- Omaha Hi/Lo (or Omaha 8) – most commonly played as online cash games. Pot is split between the lowest and highest qualifying hand. The low hand contains five unpaired cards worth 8 or lower.
- 5-card Omaha – this unique variant involves being dealt five hole cards. Like Omaha Hi, the five card hand must be formed from two hole cards and three community cards.
- 6-card Omaha – another variant that tends to be saved for online casinos. As the name suggests, you’ll be dealt six hold cards. You have to form the best five card hand using two hole cards and three community cards.
Now you know everything you need to know about Omaha poker, it’s time to find the poker site or poker app that you’re going to play on and get started!