Pot-Limit Omaha

How Omaha differs from Hold'em

The blinds, the betting rounds and the five board cards are the same as Hold'em. Two things change:

• You get four cards, not two.
• Your hand must use exactly two of them, with exactly three from the board. Not one, not three, and never all five from the board.

The betting is pot limit: the most you can bet or raise is the size of the pot, counted after you call. Pot-Limit Hold'em shows how to work it out, and the Pot button does it for you.

The rule that catches everyone out

Exactly two from your hand trips up every Hold'em player at least once.

Four hearts are on the board and you hold the ace of hearts, but you don't have a flush: you'd need two hearts of your own. What you do have is the best straight, ace-king-queen-jack-ten, using your ace and king. Poker Rooms always names your best hand by the Omaha rule, so you won't misread one at the table.

Tips for Hold'em players

1. Hands run closer. With four cards each, the winning hand is usually much stronger than in Hold'em. Two pair rarely holds up.
2. Play hands that work together. The best starting hands have cards that connect, like K♠ Q♥ J♠ 10♥, with two suits, rather than four strangers.
3. Aim for the best possible hand. A small flush or a low straight often loses to a bigger one. Ask whether yours is the nuts.
4. Count your draws. Four cards can give you twenty cards or more to improve on the flop, called a wrap, so big draws are often the favourite.