Pot Limit Omaha Rules You Need to Know

Andrew | January 27, 2011
Pot-Limit Omaha

Pot Limit Omaha has developed a large following in recent years and is a major staple of many online poker sites. The game is simple enough to follow, and there are similarities between this and Texas Hold’em. This can make Omaha easier to get into, but if you want to be really good at the game, you need to know the differences. Attempting to play Pot Limit Omaha with a Texas Hold’em mindset will see you lose a lot of money quickly, so make sure you are focused on the task at hand.

The first thing to know is that in Omaha, you need to make a hand with two of the cards you were dealt and three cards from the board. This is different from Texas Hold’em and can significantly impact the hand you create. Sometimes it will work for you, and other times it will go against you. How you adapt gives you the best chance of winning at Pot Limit Omaha.

Two blind bets come first

A game of Pot Limit Omaha starts with two blind bets made before the cards are dealt, creating the first pot. These blind bets are made by the two players on the immediate left of the dealer, and then the deal continues around the table following each hand. The “big blind” is twice the value of the “small blind.”

After the blind bets, each player is dealt four cards face down, commonly referred to as hold cards. Two of these cards must be used when creating your hand.

Watch out for the minimum and maximum levels

The pre-flop betting round begins with the player on the left of the “big blind.” In Pot Limit Omaha, there are minimum and maximum betting levels. The size of the “big blind” is the minimum level, and the maximum level is the pot size after any raises have been called. If a player feels it is not in their interest to bet, they should fold their hand.

Following these simple Pot Limit Omaha rules should enable any novice player to get a grip on the game and improve their level of play.