Online it happens to everyone sooner or later. You sign up for a tournament, wait patiently until it starts and then you get dealt four cards instead of two.

First in Omaha hand selection is even more important than in Hold’em. Your hand has to fit. With four cards you have six possible hands. You will always get a piece of the flop and weak hands tend to finish poorly. Pocket pairs are marginal. Generally connectors are more profitable than flushes unless you hold the ace/nut flush. Avoid hands that have no potential flopping the nuts.

Here is a quick survival guide with 10 after the flop rules of Omaha for the Hold’em player.

1. You must play exactly 2 cards from your hand and 3 cards from the board. The lone Ace of Spade in your hand with 4 spades on board does not give you the nut flush.
2. If there is a pair on board, a full house is probable.
3. If there are 3 cards to a flush on board, someone has it.
4. If there are 3 cards to a straight on board, someone has it.
5. Do not draw to the idiot end.
6. Middle set has the same value as middle pair in Hold’em, NONE.
7. There is an idiot end to a full house too.
8. Top 2 pair is a drawing hand.
9. The second nuts, is second best.
10. Do Not draw to a straight or flush if there is a pair on board.

Will these rules make you an Omaha winner, no, but if you get lucky, play only those hands that are coordinated and you might actually score. This is only an emergency door when you get dealt 4 cards.

Queen of Hearts

Editors Note: Queen has been playing online poker for a couple years now and we were finally able to convince her to write an article about Women in Poker. Hopefully she will contilnue to give us her valuable insights into Poker.

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