It is a subset of Holdem where each player is dealt four cards instead of two cards. The total
cards in a Omaha hand comes to nine card when you add the five cards from the flop.
Those two extra cards in play change the game substantially from Holdem. A pair is a very
weak hand, a set or three of a kind was a little better, straights and flushes are very common
in Omaha and full houses are somewhat less common in Holdem than in Omaha. As stated
earlier, the extra two card makes a big difference in the final hand a player may have after the
flop is complete. Holdem players have to learn the hard way when converting to Omaha, due
to their tendency to think Holdem and not Omaha when playing. Until they make the change
mentally they are very beatable by an experienced Omaha player.
In pot limit games of Omaha the betting gets stiff very early as the players all know that the
turn card and the river card can kill a hand. For this reason, players have a tendency to bet a
lot early to protect a hand they currently hold. This game is a winner for many people as it is
like No Limit, but it is a lot easier on the stake early in the game. This gentle start is not as
hard to get used to as an outright play in No Limit. Many players prefer Pot Limit over straight
No Limit as the stakes are not as hurtful early in a hand. Many players like the game more
due to its makeup of starting easy and ending like a storm or a big Holdem game. The
players are willing to play the game in hopes of getting a very good hand early so they can
push the hand for the turn and the river. The game is a good one and fun to play, but do not
start out in a Pot Limit game until you have the nuances of the game down pat. Holdem
players are going to learn the game faster, once they upgrade their value of hands. Once the
play is automatic, the player can then move to Pot Limit and try to make some money by
playing well.
