Although Texas Hold’em is by far the most popular form of the game played on Bet365 Poker (and almost all other major poker websites and apps) there are several other games available on Bet365 Poker that may appeal to players. Many who decide to look at a new game will make the step from Texas Hold’em to Omaha because of the relative similarity of the game.
However, it is important to note that although Omaha and Hold’em are similar games, there are some vital differences between the two which make playing Omaha a very different experience to playing Texas Hold’em.
In this article, we’ll look at the key differences between Omaha and Texas Hold’em, what that means for the typical Hold’em player and finally where you can play Omaha (either Limit or Pot Limit) on Bet365 Poker.
Are you a new or small stakes Bet365 Poker player? Read our guide to the best beginner poker games offered by Bet365 Poker.
Texas Hold’em v Omaha – the key difference
Regardless of what type of Omaha you play (Pot Limit or Limit simply refers to the differences in how much you are allowed to bet, rather than how the game plays out) the main difference between Omaha and Texas Hold’em is in the number of pocket cards you are dealt.
In Hold’em you are dealt two pocket cards and share five community cards with other players. In Omaha however, you are dealt four pocket cards and share five community cards.
At first, this difference sounds like a positive – more pocket cards means more chance of hitting a decent hand and that is certainly true, but what is also true is that all your opponents also have much more chance of hitting a decent hand too.
The important thing to note with Omaha at this point is that although you have four pocket cards, you can only use a maximum of two of these cards, along with any of the community cards to make your strongest hand.
Therefore, if you are dealt A A A, 7 in your pocket cards, you can only use two of the Aces in your selection to make up your strongest hand.
You can of course use one pocket card and four community cards, or even all five community cards to make a hand, as you would in Hold’em.
What does this mean?
The fact that players receive more pocket cards in Omaha compared to Hold’em does have major implications for the relative strength of a hand and how often players will be contesting a pot.
Hand strength
Given that players have double the amount of pocket cards, this increases their chances of hitting a decent hand (say a pair or better). Statistically, what this means then is that what are relatively strong hands in Hold’em, such as high pairs, two pair, for example are not as strong hands in Omaha.
In effect, what happens is that the hands that tend to win Omaha pots tend to have to be stronger hands than you would ordinarily need to win a hand in Hold’em.
There are two reasons for this:
- Because each player has more pocket cards, they are more likely to find a decent hand from their pocket cards compared to when they play Hold’em. As such, this means you’ll be facing stronger hands to win each pot than normal.
- Of course, if more players have a better chance of hitting a hand then this brings us onto the next issue and that is the number of players contesting each pot.
Contesting the pot
As we’ve already noted, the number of players who contest each pot in Omaha tends to be more than in Texas Hold’em because there is more chance of a player hitting a winnable hand.
The upshot of this is that more players tend to contest pots in Omaha more often and that as a result, there is often a lot more betting in a game of Omaha, which can make it a very volatile game if you are on a table with players who like to get their chips into the pot.
Given that more people will contest each pot and will generally bet more often, Omaha is not a game for Texas Hold’em players who like to play a very tight, passive game.
You will need to be confident at getting your chips into the middle and taking the occasional risk, if you are to play Omaha as to win pots, you’ll need to fend off other players either through the strength of your pocket cards, or the quality of your betting.
Are there any other differences?
Other than what we have mentioned above, there are no other differences between Hold’em and Omaha in terms of the rules of the game. The hand rankings, how the betting rounds and game plays out is the same as in Hold’em (which is why it appeals to Hold’em players seeking a new challenge).
What is important to understand is that the two additional pocket cards mean much more than simply giving a player additional choice. These two extra cards impact how competitive the game is and increase the likelihood of players betting and seeing the flop, which in turn radically alters how you have to approach the game.
The other main difference is in how betting works. Most Texas Hold’em games are no limits betting, meaning you can bet what you want (up to your entire chip stack), regardless of how much or little is in the pot.
In Pot Limit Omaha, the maximum bet you can make is the total size of the pot, including what bet you’d make including your call.
For example, if the pot is currently at $200 and the maximum bet at the table is $100, if you are betting next, the maximum bet you can make is $400.
How? Well, the pot is $200, the maximum bet is $100, so to call you would need to put in $100. This therefore makes the pot $400, and this is the maximum bet you can make. Obviously as more money is added to the pot, this amount increases.
In Limit Omaha, the maximum betting limits are fixed and they are dependent upon the blind size. All bets made are limited by these criteria so it is easier to control the money you spend.
Where can I play Omaha on Bet365 Poker?
Finding Omaha tables to play on Bet365 Poker is relatively easy as the site has a section dedicated to this version of the game offering Pot Limit (PL) and Limit versions of Omaha at different stakes.
Simply look under the My Poker section and you’ll see Omaha Listed under the Premium Tables section. From here you have a choice of games available, though as a beginner, I would strongly suggest starting at Micro Stakes until you have a feel for the game.
Omaha is a refreshing challenge that attracts players who like plenty of action and a who like to get their chips into the middle. The game is an exciting alternative to Texas Hold’em.
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