Pot-Limit Omaha Beginners Guide Part 1

This is part one of a detailed three-part guide to getting started in Pot-Limit Omaha.

All introductory aspects will be covered, beginning in part one with basic theory, key advice and common mistakes.

For a basic introduction to the rules of Omaha, check out this article: More to Poker than Hold'em Part 1: Omaha.

Pot-Limit Omaha is the second-most-common form of poker in the world today. Before the 2003 poker boom, Omaha was much more prevalent in American cardrooms, and was the most popular cash game in many rooms around Europe.

Texas Hold'em has become the poker standard across the world, leaving Omaha the most popular alternate game. Every major tournament tour brand (WPT, WSOP, LAPT ...) regularly spreads Omaha events, with buy-ins ranging from small to championship level.

The rules of play for Omaha make the game into much more of a "drawing" or "action" game than a typical Hold'em game at the same limits.

Because of the nature of the game, Omaha is rarely if ever played as a No-Limit game. Action/drawing games require more structure than Hold'em, making the game work best as a Limit- or Pot-Limit-only endeavor.


Scotty Nguyen doing what he does best.

In Hold'em, the first two betting rounds (pre-flop and flop) are the most important, while in Omaha pre-flop is far less important than the flop and turn.

In fact, when comparing Hold'em to Omaha, it's common to refer to Hold'em as a "flop game," while Omaha is characterized as a "turn game" and a "nut game."

While the previously linked article on Omaha provides a very brief introduction to the game, this article acts as an in-depth resource.

It contains all the necessary tips and statistics to allow players new to the game to acquire enough knowledge and confidence to play Omaha competently - that is to say, to make educated, lucid plays, rather than just play "by feel."

After reading this article, the best way to get a true feel for the game is to play it. I highly recommend jumping onto an online site to play the game for free, or at micro-stakes.