OMAHA POKER GAMES
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OMAHA POKER GAMES
HomePokerEdge.com has assembled an extensive collection of fun and challenging Omaha poker game variations designed to keep your dealer's choice home poker game lively and interesting. In addition to explaining how to play each game, we provide valuable playing tips and insight on how to win for many of these unique Omaha poker game varieties. The HomePokerEdge.com staff has played most of these games and are confident you will find them realistic, challenging and fun to play. Give some a try at your next home poker game. The descriptions and instructions provided assume you are already familiar with how to play the basic poker games. Should you have questions or want to know more about any of these games, let us know via our Contact HPE page and we will be happy to respond. Most of the games described may be played as high-low split. Playing high-low split poker games introduces many additional factors that must be considered. See our High-Low Poker Guide page for playing tips, hand odds or probabilities and much more information you will need to play high-low spilt poker games. We are constantly on the lookout for new games. If you have your own favorite dealer's choice poker game variation you'd like to share, please send it to us. |
The Dealer's choice poker games on this page are based on Omaha poker, but there are lots of other games, too:
Draw Poker Games Hold 'em Poker Games Stud Poker Games Wild Card Poker Games Other (non-poker) Games SOME GENERAL THOUGHTS ABOUT OMAHA POKER GAMES Omaha is often considered a game of the nuts meaning that it is frequently the case that you will need the very best possible hand to win. How coordinated the board cards are will determine the usual winning hand. This is especially true when a straight or flush is the best possible hand and for the low hand if playing a high-low version. When there is a pair or 2 on the board a full house (preferably one of the better ones) is the usual winner. (4 of a kind would be the absolute nuts, but is not that common.) In "original" Omaha each player has 4 hole cards giving them 6 possible pairs of cards (couples) to play. There are 5 board cards making ten 3 card combinations. In versions that differ from this standard format the likely winning hands may be expected to drop with fewer cards to use and increase when there are more cards in play. We explain this in more detail in our Playing Tips.
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PLAYING THE ANGLES
Deal each player 4 hole cards. The board cards are placed face down and consist of 9 cards arranged in a cross shape with 5 vertical cards and 5 horizontal cards. Players make their hand by using exactly 2 of their hole cards plus 3 cards from any 2 arms of the cross that form a 90 degree angle. The horizontal and vertical arms may not be used. Reveal the 4 outer cards (1, 4, 5, 7), then the 4 inner cards (2, 3, 6, 8) and lastly the single middle card (M), with a round of betting between. The cards from the board that may be used are: 12M34, 43M65, 56M87, 78M21 The vertical (12M65) and horizontal (43M87) arms can not be used. |
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2 7 8 M 3 4 6 5 |
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TRI-STAR OMAHA POKER
A Variation of Omaha. Deal each player 4 hole cards. The board cards are placed face down and consist of 7 cards arranged with a single center card and 3 "hands" of 2 cards each radiating out from the center at the 12 o'clock, 4 o'clock and 8 o'clock positions. Players make their hand by using exactly 2 of their hole cards plus 3 cards from any 2 arms. Reveal the 3 outer cards (1, 3, 5), then the 3 inner cards (2, 4, 6,) and lastly the single center card (C), with a round of betting between. The cards from the board that may be used are: 12C43, 34C65, 56C21. Playing Tips for Tri-Star Omaha Poker: Includes detailed playing instructions and strategy, card arrangement diagram, starting hand selection, hand odds and more. |
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2 C 6 4 5 3 |
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KITE TAIL POKER
Kite Tail Poker is a variation of Omaha. Deal each player 4 hole cards. The board cards are placed face down and consist of 9 cards. 6 cards form the "kite". The remaining 3 cards make up the "tail". See diagram below. Players make their hand by using exactly 2 of their hole cards along with 3 cards from one half of the "kite" cards plus the 3 "tail" cards (ABCXYZ or DEFXYZ). Begin by revealing the 6 cards that make up the "kite" (ABC and DEF), then cards X & Y, and finally card Z (the "tail" cards). A round of betting occurs after the deal and after reach reveal. Playing Tips for Kite Tail Poker: Includes detailed playing instructions and strategy, card arrangement diagram, starting hand selection, hand odds and more. |
A B C X Y Z D E F |
OMAHA DRAW
Played like Omaha but with the addition of an option to draw cards. After the flop (after post-flop betting round) each player may discard and draw up to 2 of their hole cards. An additional round of betting is added after the draw and before revealing the turn card.
Played like Omaha but with the addition of an option to draw cards. After the flop (after post-flop betting round) each player may discard and draw up to 2 of their hole cards. An additional round of betting is added after the draw and before revealing the turn card.
2 AND 3 HIGH-LOW OMAHA
Played as high-low split only. How hands are made varies depending if a player declares high or low. Start by dealing each player 4 hole cards.
Arrange 2 rows of 5 cards each, one above the other.
Row A 1 2 3 4 5
Row B 6 7 8 9 10
Reveal board cards in typical order from each row of 5, Flop (1,2,3 & 6,7,8) Turn (4 & 9), River (5 & 10).
Players make their hand only in these ways:
For the high hand they must use 2 cards from their hand plus 3 cards from 1 of the 2 sets of board cards. (Any 3 cards from Row A or any 3 cards from Row B.)
For the low hand they must use 3 cards from their hand plus 1 of the 5 pairs of 2 vertical cards (1+6, 2+7, 3+8, 4+9, 5+10).
Played as high-low split only. How hands are made varies depending if a player declares high or low. Start by dealing each player 4 hole cards.
Arrange 2 rows of 5 cards each, one above the other.
Row A 1 2 3 4 5
Row B 6 7 8 9 10
Reveal board cards in typical order from each row of 5, Flop (1,2,3 & 6,7,8) Turn (4 & 9), River (5 & 10).
Players make their hand only in these ways:
For the high hand they must use 2 cards from their hand plus 3 cards from 1 of the 2 sets of board cards. (Any 3 cards from Row A or any 3 cards from Row B.)
For the low hand they must use 3 cards from their hand plus 1 of the 5 pairs of 2 vertical cards (1+6, 2+7, 3+8, 4+9, 5+10).
2 OR 3 OMAHA
Deal each player 4 hole cards.
Arrange 2 rows of 5 cards each, one above the other.
Row A 1 2 3 4 5
Row B 6 7 8 9 10
Reveal board cards in typical order from each row of 5, Flop (1,2,3 & 6,7,8) Turn (4 & 9), River (5 & 10).
Players make their hand in either of 2 ways:
2 cards from their hand plus 3 cards from 1 of the 2 sets of board cards. (Any 3 cards from Row A or any 3 cards from Row B.)
3 cards from their hand plus 1 of the 5 pairs of 2 vertical cards (1+6, 2+7, 3+8, 4+9, 5+10).
Deal each player 4 hole cards.
Arrange 2 rows of 5 cards each, one above the other.
Row A 1 2 3 4 5
Row B 6 7 8 9 10
Reveal board cards in typical order from each row of 5, Flop (1,2,3 & 6,7,8) Turn (4 & 9), River (5 & 10).
Players make their hand in either of 2 ways:
2 cards from their hand plus 3 cards from 1 of the 2 sets of board cards. (Any 3 cards from Row A or any 3 cards from Row B.)
3 cards from their hand plus 1 of the 5 pairs of 2 vertical cards (1+6, 2+7, 3+8, 4+9, 5+10).
OMAHA-8 ENCORE
Played exactly like Omaha Hi-Low 8 or Better, but with this one twist. If no qualifying low hand is possible after revealing the river card there is an additional round of betting followed by dealing a second river card. The board would then consist of 6 cards of which each player must use exactly 3. If there is still no possible qualifying low hand the game is played for high only.
Optional "mercy" rule: If after the flop, turn and river have been dealt there are less than 2 different cards of 8 or less no qualifying low would be possible even if dealing a 2nd river card. When this is the case a 2nd river card not dealt.
Played exactly like Omaha Hi-Low 8 or Better, but with this one twist. If no qualifying low hand is possible after revealing the river card there is an additional round of betting followed by dealing a second river card. The board would then consist of 6 cards of which each player must use exactly 3. If there is still no possible qualifying low hand the game is played for high only.
Optional "mercy" rule: If after the flop, turn and river have been dealt there are less than 2 different cards of 8 or less no qualifying low would be possible even if dealing a 2nd river card. When this is the case a 2nd river card not dealt.