5-Card Omaha Poker - Play and Win with CoinPoker

About 5-Card Omaha Poker

Big O poker, sometimes called Five-Card Omaha or Omaha 5, is a poker variant that is very similar to Omaha with a few key differences. The full name of Big O is actually 5 Card Pot-Limit Omaha Hi-Lo 8 or Better. Most players just use the shorter version – Big O.

The game began appearing in Southern California in 2008 and slowly started spreading around card rooms everywhere. The reason it increased in popularity is that it offers more action than standard Omaha.

Instead of being dealt four hole cards, players are dealt five. But just as in Omaha, players have to use exactly two of their cards at showdown. They also have to use three of the community cards to make the best five-card hand.

Big O poker can be played both in limit and pot-limit formats, for high only, or as a hi-lo split game. Even though it might seem like an additional card wouldn’t make much difference to the odds, it actually has an incredible impact on the game.

The additional card nearly doubles the number of potential two-card combinations (from six to ten) that a player has to make their hand. That makes it much more likely to have powerful hands.

In Big O, two pair is very unlikely to be a winning hand nor is three of a kind. So if a straight or flush makes sense on the board, then it’s highly likely that a player has it. And if the board has paired, it’s probable that there’s at least one player with a full house there.

Another thing to know is that when Big O is played in a hi-lo form, the nut low is the low you’re most likely to see at showdown.

How to play?

Round 1: Getting Your Hole Cards (Pre-Flop)

Hole cards are the first 2 cards each player at the table is dealt, and are always face down. Only you are able to see your hole cards, and during this first round the small and big blinds are played. Afterwards players can choose to match the big blind to play the round, or raise if they have a strong hand (or want others to think they do).

Round 2: The Flop

The dealer positions three cards face up once the betting’s done. All players still in the game can use those cards to make the best five-card hand. In the flop, the betting begins with the first active player to the left of the button

Round 3: The Turn

After the flop, the dealer deals one more card, this time, face up in the middle of the table. That happens once everyone has had the chance to check or match the bet on the table. In Big O, the fourth card is called the Party Card.

Round 4: The River

On the river, once the turn is through, the dealer places the final card, face up, on the table. The final round of betting happens now.

Two ways to win

Showdown

Betting or checking until all community cards are dealt, then comparing hands to determine the winner. This is done based on Texas Hold’Em hand rankings which are listed below.

Out-Betting Your Opponents

Out-Betting Your Opponents: If you place a bet or raise to an amount that makes all other players fold, you automatically win the hand no matter what cards you have.