Despite a name which suggests a long and interesting history, Omaha is a relatively new 
addition to the ranks of poker variants. One might surmise that it was invented by 19th century cowboys, or perhaps played on the conquered Northern French beaches following D-day. One would be completely wrong however – it was originally played in the Golden Nugget Casino in Las Vegas in 1982 and to begin with was called Nugget Hold’em. The name Omaha was added later, presumably as its popularity grew and other casinos began to offer it.
It is certainly similar to Texas Hold’em but the differences are enough to create an entirely different game. For a refresher of the rules of Texas Hold’em, have a look here if you can’t remember the sequences of betting and dealing.
So what’s the big differences then? In Omaha each player is dealt four cards, not the standard two in Hold’em. That is not the crucial difference though. To make the best five card hand, each player must use two cards from his hand and three from the five community cards available. This may may not sound too complicated but if you’re coming from the mindset of Hold’em, it can take a small leap of logic to adjust to the new rules. This can be especially tough if you’re playing H.O.R.S.E, or some other multi-variant game.
Imagine in your four card hand you are holding an Ace of Clubs, a 3 of Hearts, a 7 of Hearts and a 5 of Diamonds. The community card draw results in a Ten, Jack, Queen and King of Clubs and 8 of Spades. In some other game this would be fantastic hand, a Royal Flush, but not in this game. You must use two of the cards in your hand and three from the community draw, meaning this suddenly becomes a very weak hand – just a high card in fact.
It is this feature of the game which often catches out new players, especially when it comes to betting early on in a hand. It’s a game which should be practised before gambling your own money against a seasoned Omaha veteran.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iL6XQOQhfGA
