The structure and initial set up are almost exactly the same in Omaha as in Texas hold 'em. However, as you will see in the other Omaha sections, the strategy is completely different.
The two main differences between Hold 'em and Omaha are, firstly, in Omaha you receive four face down (hole) cards instead of two in hold 'em. And secondly, in Omaha you must use exactly two hole cards along with three cards from the board (community cards) out of the five that will be available.

Limit Omaha: Set up and basic play

In limit Omaha, there are four rounds of betting. During the first and second rounds, you can bet $1X and in the third and fourth rounds you can bet $2X, which as you may know, is identical to limit Hold 'em.
As in hold 'em, there is a button and two blinds (small and big) and after the blinds are posted, everybody is dealt four face down cards. Then the first round of betting begins. (If these concepts are unfamiliar to you, you can introduce yourself to them in the Texas Hold 'em: Setup and Basic play pages) When the first round of betting is complete the dealer turns three cards face up on the table, known as community cards and can be used by everybody. Then there is a second round of betting and when this is complete, the dealer turns up the fourth community card, commonly known as 4th street or the turn. Then the third round of betting starts, and remember, this is the point where the stakes are doubled. Then finally, the dealer turns up the fifth and final community card (5th street or the river this can be called) and a final round of betting begins. Although the dealer is done dealing after this point, their job is far from done. The dealer will help determine who has won the pot, because in Omaha, determining who has won is more complicated than in hold 'em. Since each player must use only two of their hole cards and three from the board, beginners sometimes misread their hands.
It is also a good idea for beginners and intermediate players to lay their cards face up on the table, all of them visible, at the end of each hand, even if they think they have lost. If you expose your hand at the time, the dealer may notice you have a better hand than you thought, one that you have overlooked.

Omaha eight or better: Set up and basic play (O8B)

The structure of Omaha eight or better (O8B) is exactly like the structure of Omaha Limit high. The betting is identical as is the dealing, with one major distinction. In O8B, sometimes when the low hand "qualifies", the pot is split at the end between the best high hand and the best low hand. (This is covered more in the Omaha eight or better (high-low split): Strategy section).
Today, O8B is rapidly becoming one of the most popular games in the world. By contrast, it is very difficult to find a game of Limit Omaha high anywhere.

Pot limit Omaha: Set up and basic play (PLO)

There is one key difference between PL Omaha and Limit Omaha. The dealing is exactly the same, the whole structure is the same but in PLO you can bet the size of the pot when it is your turn to act.
PLO is the only game in which you can bet all your chips with the best possible hand on the flop or turn but still be an underdog to win the hand.

Omaha, in all its variations, is a great game of skill. In the other Omaha pages on this site: the Eight or better (high-low split) strategy and the PL Omaha for beginners and intermediates page, some basic, intermediate and advanced strategies are covered for both PL and O8B.

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