Start with the 2 + 3 rule
You cannot freely choose the best five of all nine available cards. Try pairs of your private cards, then complete each pair with three board cards. The usual hand rankings still apply: a flush beats a straight, and a full house beats a flush.
That means one spade in your hand cannot make a flush, even with four spades on the board. You need two spades from your hand and three from the board.
How does a hand unfold?
The hand starts with the blinds and four private cards per player. There is a preflop betting round, then three community cards on the flop, one on the turn and one on the river, with betting after each stage.
If everyone but one player folds, that player takes the pot without having to show a winning hand. If several players reach showdown, compare each player’s best legal five-card hand. Players with identical best hands split the pot they are eligible to win.
What changes if you know Hold’em?
The biggest trap is reading an Omaha board as if it were Hold’em. Hold’em lets you use two, one or none of your private cards. Omaha requires two.
Pause before betting and name the two private cards you would use. That small habit catches many mistakes before you press a button.
How do you calculate the maximum PLO raise?
When facing a bet, first work out the pot after your hypothetical call. That resulting pot is the largest additional raise above your call, provided you have enough chips.
Keep “raise by” separate from “raise to.” The first is your increase over the opponent’s bet; the second is your total bet for the round. In this example you have contributed nothing on the current street, so the total also equals the chips you put in now.
| Step | Chips |
|---|---|
| Pot before the opponent’s bet | 120 |
| Opponent’s bet | 40 |
| Pot facing you now | 160 |
| Pot after a hypothetical call | 200 |
| Maximum raise to | 240 |
Check your reading before the next hand
You hold K♣ Q♣ 7♦ 2♠ on an A♣ J♣ T♣ 9♥ 3♦ board. Pick two private cards and three board cards before reading the answer.
Answer: K♣ Q♣ with A♣ J♣ T♣ makes a royal flush. The board’s 9♥ and your 7♦ add nothing to that hand. You always compare five cards, not everything you can see.
In a short practice session, note the combination you think is correct and check it at showdown. Start with reading your hand accurately, then move on to bet selection. Hoot’s practice chips are not money and cannot be withdrawn as cash.
- Identify the two private cards you actually use.
- Check the three board cards that complete them.
- Read the call amount and raise total before confirming.
Common questions
Can I use all four of my private cards?
No. In four-card Omaha you use only two private cards with three community cards. Four hole cards give you more choices, not a larger final hand.
Is Omaha the same as Omaha Hi/Lo?
No. This guide covers Omaha high, where the strongest hand wins. Hi/Lo is another variant with rules for splitting the pot between the high hand and a qualifying low hand.
Can I put my entire stack in at any time?
Not when doing so would exceed the permitted pot-limit amount. Your stack is not the only limit in PLO; the pot matters too. The game shows the legal amounts available.
Rules and references
These references explain general poker rules. Hoot’s current product details are described in our fair-play guide.