More hole cards give Omaha more possible combinations, but not unrestricted selection. Its central rule is exactly two private and exactly three community cards. Then distinguish high, Hi/Lo, Big O and Courchevel.
In this guide
Omaha high and PLO
Standard Omaha deals four hole cards and a five-card board with flop, turn and river. Each evaluated hand uses exactly two hole cards and three board cards. PLO means pot-limit Omaha; pot-limit describes the betting cap. Omaha high awards the pot to the highest standard poker hand.
Further reading: PokerStars: Omaha rules
One suited ace is not enough
Original example: board K♥ Q♥ 9♥ 5♣ 2♦, hole cards A♥ J♠ 8♦ 7♣. Do you have the nut heart flush? No: you lack a second heart in your hand. The three board hearts and your ace provide only four hearts; another board card cannot replace the missing hole card.
Position as text
Hole cards: A♥ J♠ 8♦ 7♣. Board: K♥ Q♥ 9♥ 5♣ 2♦. Exactly two hole cards and three board cards are required.
Omaha eight-or-better
Hi/Lo eight-or-better divides between high and a qualifying low with five distinct ranks of eight or lower. Aces count low; straights and flushes do not harm the low. High and low may use different pairs of hole cards. If no low qualifies, high receives the whole pot.
Further reading: PokerStars: Omaha Hi/Lo
Half a pot is not necessarily a profit
Original settlement: a pot holds 120 chips. One player wins high outright; two others tie for low. High receives 60, and each low winner gets 30. If one low winner contributed 40, that player receives less than they put in despite sharing a winning hand. This is called quartering.
Five hole cards and Big O
Five-card Omaha deals five private cards. Selection still requires two hole cards plus three community cards. Its five-hole-card Hi/Lo form is often called Big O. Establish the high/low qualifier and betting limit explicitly before play.
Further reading: PokerStars: Five Card Omaha
Six hole cards still means using two
Six-card Omaha deals six private cards but still uses only two in the final hand. That gives 15 possible hole-card pairs instead of six with four hole cards. A larger starting hand changes the number of options, not the number used.
Further reading: PokerStars: Six Card Omaha
Courchevel exposes information earlier
Courchevel uses five hole cards and exposes the first flop card before the opening betting round. The flop is then completed, followed by turn and river. Exactly two hole cards plus three board cards remain mandatory. Both high and Hi/Lo forms exist.
Further reading: PokerStars: Courchevel
Practise selection
Set out two marked spaces for hole cards and three for board cards. Physically build each claimed hand there. Check high and low separately. This habit catches errors more reliably than remembering the strongest combination visible anywhere. Omaha and Courchevel are reference topics here; our browser poker remains its own five-card variant.