The Ultimate Guide to Omaha Poker Variants: Pot Limit, Hi-Lo, 5-Card, 6-Card, and More
Table of contents
If you’re even a little bit obsessed with poker, you’ve probably noticed Omaha Poker is everywhere right now. And honestly, it’s about time. Omaha is wild, deep, and rewards real study. But let’s be honest: the Omaha world is a maze. There are so many variants—Pot Limit Omaha, 5-card, 6-card, Hi-Lo, Courchevel, and even No Limit Omaha. It’s easy to get lost, waste time, and miss out on the games that fit your style and goals.
That’s why I built this guide. I want you to have a clear, honest, and actionable roadmap for every major Omaha Poker variant. Whether you’re a micro-stakes grinder, a Hold’em convert, or a skill-focused learner, you’ll find the info you need to pick your game, study smart, and crush the tables. Let’s get you on the fastest path to Omaha mastery.
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Omaha Poker: The Basics
Omaha Poker is a family of games that all share one core rule: you get four (or more) hole cards, and you must use exactly two of them, plus three from the board, to make your hand. This “two from your hand, three from the board” rule is the heart of Omaha. It’s what makes the game so much deeper and more complex than Texas Hold’em.
Why does this matter?
- You see way more possible hand combinations.
- Nut hands (the best possible hand) matter way more.
- Drawing hands and redraws are everywhere.
- Multiway pots are the norm, not the exception.
If you’re coming from Hold’em, you’ll need to rewire your brain. Top pair is rarely good. Straights and flushes are common. And you’ll need to think about blockers, equity, and nut potential on every street.
Quick Omaha basics:
- 4+ hole cards per player (depending on the variant)
- Use exactly two hole cards and three board cards
- Most games use blinds and community cards
- Most popular betting structure: Pot Limit
Pot Limit Omaha
Pot Limit Omaha is the game you play when you want action with real skill expression. You get four hole cards, five community cards, and you must use exactly two from your hand with three from the board. Betting follows pot limit rules, which means you can bet up to the size of the pot at any moment. The result is a format where equities run close, pots go multiway, and edges come from better hand selection, position, and disciplined value betting. If you’re coming from Hold’em, welcome to a world where top pair means very little and redraws decide stacks.
Core rules and flow:
- Preflop: four hole cards, blinds post, you can raise up to the pot.
- Postflop: you must use exactly two hole cards and three board cards to make a five card hand.
- Showdown: straights and flushes are common, so think in terms of nuttiness and backup plans, not just single made hands.
Why PLO feels different to Texas Hold’em
- Hand values compress. Many hands have 40 to 60 percent equity against each other preflop, so small preflop edges matter less than postflop decisions.
- The nut bar is higher. Two pair is shaky. Sets are great, sets with redraws are much better. Nut draws with clean outs often play like money printers.
- Position matters even more. You realize equity and control pot size when you act last.
Check out the key differences between Texas Hold’em and Pot Limit Omaha.
What to play preflop
- Aim for connected, coordinated hands with nut potential. Doublesuited rundowns like JT98ds, T987ds, or AKQJds are premium.
- Aces are good when the side cards work. A A with suited and connected kickers plays far better than A A with rainbow junk.
- Avoid danglers. A hand like K Q J 4 with no suit drops in value because the 4 rarely helps.
- 3-bet hands that hit many boards and make nut draws. Flat more out of position with hands that hate getting 4-bet or isolated on bad boards.
How to play postflop
- Build pots with strong value and combo draws. Wrap plus nut flush draw is the gold standard. Nut straight with a flush redraw is also strong.
- Slow down with medium strength hands. Top two with no redraws folds more than your Hold’em instincts think.
- Use blockers intelligently. Bluff when you block the nuts and represent credible lines. If you don’t block it, tread lightly.
- Size up on dynamic boards where draws pay. Check more on static boards where ranges are capped and your hand is medium.
Fast wins you can apply today
- Tighten in early position. Widen on the button.
- Respect nut advantage. If you rarely win the whole pot on many rivers, take the fold.
- Review hands with a HUD and run equities after sessions. Train your eye for redraws and counterfeit risk.
PLO rewards patience, clean preflop selection, and sharp postflop planning. Start with tight, connected ranges, value bet hard when you have nut potential, and your graph moves the right way.
Want to go deeper? Check out our PLO Odds Calculator.
5 Card Omaha
Core rules in plain English
5 Card Omaha gives you five hole cards, the board brings five community cards, and you must use exactly two from your hand with three from the board to make your final hand. Most rooms run it as pot limit, so your max bet at any point equals the size of the pot. That single extra hole card changes a lot. Straights and flushes show up more often. Made hands without redraws lose value. If classic PLO feels wild, PLO5 turns the volume up and asks you to think in terms of nuttiness and clean outs on every street.
Why 5 Card Omaha plays different than 4-card
The average equity of starting hands rises in PLO5, which means more flops and turns matter and more ranges arrive at showdown with live chances. The nut bar climbs too. Second-best flushes and weak straights get punished, especially in multiway pots. You’ll face bigger swings because stacks go in more often, even when you make solid decisions. Position becomes even more valuable. When you act last, you realize equity, control pot size, and push your nut advantage with confidence.
A preflop plan that keeps you out of trouble
I start by favoring connected, coordinated hands with two good suits. AKQJT double suited is the dream, and KQJT9 double suited is right behind it. Those shapes hit a lot of flops and turn into nut draws. I’m picky about danglers. A hand like AQJT3 with no suit loses too much coverage. Trips in the hole look pretty and usually play poorly unless the rest of the hand supports them with suits and high connectivity. I tighten my 3-bets out of position and pick hands that keep nut equity on many runouts. On the button I widen, because I’ll play more pots to the river profitably when I act last.
Postflop priorities that win stacks
In PLO5, redraws pay the bills. I build pots with combo draws like a wrap plus nut flush draw or a nut straight with a flush redraw. I slow down with two pair and even sets if my redraws are thin. If I don’t have the ace of the suit, I treat big flushes with caution on high-pressure boards. My bluffs come from real blockers and credible lines. Air bluffs burn money in this format. On dynamic textures I size up to charge the table. On static boards I keep pots manageable with medium strength hands and let weaker ranges make mistakes.
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Bankroll and table choices
Variance runs hotter in PLO5 than in 4-card. I like a deeper bankroll, think 70 to 120 buy-ins while you’re learning, and I’m quick to move down during rough patches. Game selection matters a lot. You want tables where people overplay second-best flushes, ignore redraw quality, and pay off on scary rivers. Rakeback helps at micro and low stakes, so lock in a good deal if you plan to grind volume.
Quick wins you can apply today
Tighten early positions and widen on the button. Prefer double suited rundowns over scattered hands with a single suit. Fold more second-best hands on rivers and you’ll see your redline calm down. After sessions, tag big pots, check equities, and ask one simple question on each: did I have clean redraws to the nuts or was I hoping? Do that for a few weeks and 5 Card Omaha stops feeling chaotic and starts feeling like a clear edge.
Want to learn more? Check out our Free PLO5 Calculator.
6 Card Omaha
Core rules in plain English
6 Card Omaha gives you six hole cards, the board brings five community cards, and you must use exactly two from your hand with three from the board. Most games run as pot limit, so your max bet equals the current pot. That extra pair of cards isn’t window dressing. It changes everything. Straights and flushes show up constantly, sets get outdrawn more, and your edge comes from picking hands that make the nuts in many ways and carry clean redraws when the board shifts.
Why 6 Card Omaha plays different
PLO6 compresses equities even more than PLO5. Preflop edges shrink, postflop edges come from nut coverage and position. The nut bar climbs. Second-nut flushes and weak straights lose piles, especially in multiway pots. You’ll see more spots where both players have a “made hand,” and the winner is the one with better redraws. Position matters a ton. Acting last lets you push value when ranges are capped and control pot size when you’re in medium-strength purgatory.
A preflop plan that keeps you sane
I start with connected ranks through the middle and two real suits. Think hands that can make nut straights on many lanes and hold aces that anchor nut flushes. Double suited is great, quality suits are better than random ones, and I’m picky about danglers. A pretty hand that doesn’t connect with the rest is a slow leak. Trips or quads in the hole look flashy and usually play terribly unless the rest of the hand is stacked with connectivity and suits. Out of position I 3-bet tight and value-heavy. On the button I expand with hands that attack lots of flops and turns. The goal is simple. Arrive at flops with many ways to make the nuts, not one way to make second-best.
Check out PLO Mastermind, a top Pot Limit Omaha training site that also offers a lot of 6 Card Omaha content.
Postflop priorities that actually print
In 6 Card Omaha, redraws win stacks. I build pots with combo draws like wrap plus nut flush draw or the nut straight with a high-quality flush redraw. Two pair is a snack, not a meal. Even sets need help on dynamic boards. If I don’t hold the ace of the suit, I treat big flushes with respect when action heats up. My bluffs come from real blockers and clean narratives. Double blockers shine. Air bluffs against multiway callers torch money.
On boards that change a lot by the river, I size up to charge dominated draws. On paired or monotone textures, I slow down unless I block the nuts and can credibly rep them across streets. River discipline is key. If you don’t block the nuts and you can’t beat value, fold and move on.
Bankroll and table choices
Variance in PLO6 runs hot. I like 100 to 200 buy-ins online while learning and I’m quick to move down during rough stretches. Rake bites harder when pots go multiway, so chase soft games and solid rakeback. You want lineups that overplay second-nut flushes, pay off on paired boards, and call down with weak straights. Deep stacks help skilled players because you can press nut advantage across turns and rivers.
Quick wins you can apply today
Tighten your early-position opens and widen sensibly on the button. Favor double suited, well-connected shapes over scattered hands with random suits. Treat second-nut holdings as one-and-done value, not stack-off candidates. After each session, tag every big pot where you held a strong but non-nut hand in 6 Card Omaha, then ask one question: did I have clean redraws or was I hoping? Do that for a couple weeks and PLO6 stops feeling like chaos and starts playing like controlled aggression with a nut-first compass.
Want to learn more? Check out our Free PLO6 Calculator.
Omaha Hi Lo
Core rules in plain English
Omaha Hi Lo, also called Omaha 8 or better, splits every pot into a high and a low half when a qualifying low exists. You get four hole cards, there are five community cards, and you must use exactly two from your hand with three from the board for both high and low. A low must be five unpaired cards 8 or lower. Straights and flushes don’t hurt your low. Most rooms run this as pot limit, so bet sizes cap at the current pot. Your goal isn’t to win half. Your goal is to scoop both halves as often as possible.
Why Omaha 8 or better plays different
PLO8 rewards discipline and patience. High-only hands that look pretty in regular PLO often bleed here because you run into lows that chop the pot. The real money comes from hands that make the nut low while threatening a strong high. That’s how you freeroll people who can only win half. Counterfeit risk is a daily grind. A2 feels amazing until the board pairs your ace or deuce and your low weakens. Position matters because you get to bet for the scoop when others check with one-way hands.
A preflop plan that keeps you out of trouble
I build hands around an ace and a deuce with backup, plus a suited ace. A2 with wheel cards like 3, 4, or 5 is premium. Double suited versions that also connect up top are even better because they threaten the high. A3 with help plays well when it has a suited ace and wheel support. Rough lows like A5 with junky side cards are traps. You’ll get counterfeited and rarely win high. From early positions, stay tight and pick hands that can win both ways. On the button, add more A2 and A3 shapes that carry real high potential.
Postflop priorities that scoop pots
Think scoop first. When you have the nut low draw plus a strong high draw, build the pot and pressure one-way ranges. Bet your nut low on the turn when you also have real high equity. That line folds out dominated highs and sets up big rivers. If you only have the low half with poor counterfeit protection, keep the pot small or fold. Getting quartered hurts, both in chips and in tilt. On high-only boards where no low is possible, switch gears and play like standard PLO. Value bet cleanly, punish second-best flushes, and don’t pay off with flimsy two pair. On low-heavy textures, pick your bluffs carefully. The best ones block nut lows and carry live high outs.
Bankroll and table choices
Variance feels gentler than 4-card PLO when you chase scoops and avoid low-only gambles, but swings still happen. I like 50 to 100 buy-ins online while learning, with fast move-down rules during rough stretches. Table selection matters. You want lineups that limp too much, chase weak lows, and overplay high-only hands on low boards. Rakeback helps at micro and low stakes, where pots split frequently.
Find the best rakeback deals.
Quick wins you can apply today
Play more A2 with wheel help and a suited ace. Raise for value when you can win both halves and avoid bloating pots when you only chase one side. Respect counterfeit risk on turns and rivers. When in doubt, ask a simple question before you bet big in Omaha Hi Lo: can I scoop here, or am I hoping to chop? Build your plan around scoops and PLO8 starts clicking fast.
No Limit Omaha
Core rules in plain English
No Limit Omaha uses the same card rules as classic PLO. You get four hole cards, five community cards, and you must use exactly two from your hand with three from the board. The difference is betting. In No Limit Omaha there is no cap, you can bet any amount of your stack at any time. That single change shifts how ranges are built, how pots grow, and how often stacks go in. If you are moving over from Pot Limit Omaha, expect more polarized decisions, bigger bet sizes, and a faster slide from small pot to all in.
Why NLO plays different than PLO
Leverage defines NLO. Because you can overbet turns and rivers, your value hands and your bluffs live at the ends of your range more often. Stack depth matters a lot. With 150 big blinds, a small flop bet can set up a turn overbet and a river shove, which means weak one-way hands get punished. Equity denial also matters more. In PLO you often size to the pot and live with multiway calls. In NLO you have the freedom to push people off thin continues, especially on boards where your range has the clear nut advantage. That liberty cuts both ways. Your opponents can put you in the cage with big bets when your range is capped, so position and hand reading carry extra weight.
A preflop plan that keeps you out of trouble
I tighten early positions and prefer double suited, connected hands that attack many flops. AKQJ double suited, JT98 double suited, and AA with suited and connected side cards are the types of hands that play for stacks without leaving you stranded. I am careful with single suited aces that create second best flushes, and I trim hands with danglers that do not help straight lanes. My 3-bets focus on hands that keep nut equity across runouts, especially when I expect to face 4-bets or deep stack pressure. On the button I widen because position lets me realize equity and choose bet sizes that fit the plan.
Postflop priorities that win stacks
In NLO I build pots with strong value and real combo draws, then use big bets when the texture favors me. Paired boards where I hold trips with solid blockers, monotone boards when I hold the nut suit, and runouts that favor my preflop 3-bet range are classic overbet spots. I deny equity early when I face loose continues with weak backdoors. I control pots with medium hands that have few clean rivers, especially out of position. Blockers matter, but the story matters more. I choose bluffs that remove the nuts and also connect with the line I have taken. If I do not block the right hands, I take the hint and slow down. Multiway pots call for extra caution, since someone usually wakes up with the nuts or a strong redraw.
Bankroll and tilt control
Swings come faster in No Limit Omaha because single mistakes can cost stacks. I like 80 to 150 buy-ins online while learning and I move down quickly when focus slips. I set quit rules before I start, for example one stack lost with C game showing, then I review. Game selection still matters. Soft lineups that overvalue two pair on scary boards, chase bad flushes, or call down with capped ranges will pay your big bets. Rakeback helps, and reviewing sessions with a HUD keeps you honest about which spots print and which ones torch money.
Quick wins you can apply today
Open tighter from early positions and attack more in position. Plan hands around future bet sizes, not just the current street, so your turn and river bets tell a consistent story. Overbet boards where your range has the clear nut advantage, and check more when you are capped or your hand has poor redraws. Tag every all in hand after the session and ask whether you had nut advantage or at least strong blockers. Give No Limit Omaha that level of discipline and NLO starts feeling like a sharp, profitable upgrade to your PLO toolkit.
No Limit Omaha Hi Lo
Core rules in plain English
No Limit Omaha Hi Lo uses the classic Omaha engine with a split-pot twist and no cap on betting. You get four hole cards, five community cards, and you must use exactly two from your hand with three from the board for both high and low. A qualifying low is five unpaired cards 8 or lower. Straights and flushes don’t hurt your low. If there’s no qualifying low, the whole pot goes to the best high hand. Because this is no limit, you can bet any amount of your stack at any time. That freedom changes everything, especially when you’re hunting scoops.
Why NLO8 plays different
Leverage rules this format. The ability to overbet turns and rivers lets you pressure one-way hands and force tough folds from ranges that only win half. Stack depth matters more than you think. With 150 big blinds, a small flop bet can set up a turn overbet and a river shove that punishes capped lows or flimsy highs. Quartering is a real tax. If you only share the nut low and have no path to win high, big pots become painful. Counterfeit risk is constant too. A2 feels dreamy until the board pairs and your low weakens. Position softens all of this. Acting last lets you build pots when you can scoop and slow down when your hand is trapped on one side.
A preflop plan that keeps you out of trouble
I build ranges around an ace-deuce with backup and a suited ace. A2 with wheel help like 3, 4, or 5 is the bedrock. Double suited versions that also connect up top are premium, because they threaten high and secure low. A3 with real backup and a suited ace plays well; rough lows like A5 with junky side cards don’t. From early positions I stay tight and favor hands that can win both halves often. Out of position I 3-bet less and keep it value heavy. In position I widen and include hands that either scoop a lot or apply big bet pressure with nut blockers. One more filter I use: if the hand makes second-best flushes and weak highs too often, I pass.
Postflop priorities that scoop pots
Think scoop first. When I have the nut low draw plus strong high potential, I build the pot and choose lines that pressure one-way ranges. On turns where I make the nut low and pick up real high equity, I’m happy to use big bets, even overbets, because opponents hate calling off for half. If I only have a vulnerable low (or I’m likely to get quartered), I keep the pot small or fold.
On high-only boards where no low is possible, I switch gears and play like standard no limit Omaha: press nut advantage, value bet cleanly, and don’t hero with medium two pair. For bluffs, I want real blockers. Overbetting when I block the nut low and hold strong high is a great way to push out dominated lows and second-best highs. If my story doesn’t line up, I take the hint and check.
Bankroll and table choices
Swings run hotter than pot limit Omaha Hi Lo because one mistake can cost stacks. I like 80 to 150 buy-ins online while learning NLO8, with fast move-down rules during shaky sessions. Game selection matters. You want lineups that chase low-only hands, overplay second-best flushes, and hate folding to big bets on turns that counterfeit their lows. Rakeback helps when pots split often. After each session, review the big pots where you went for half. If you weren’t drawing to a scoop or a freeroll, that’s a leak.
Quick wins you can apply today
Play more A2 with wheel backup and a suited ace. Build pots when you can scoop, and avoid bloating pots with low-only hands. Use overbets on textures where you block the nut low and hold strong high equity. Respect counterfeit risk on turns and rivers. Keep it simple: if your plan in No Limit Omaha Hi Lo doesn’t show a clear path to the whole pot, tighten up and wait for a better spot.
Fixed Limit Omaha
Core rules in plain English
Fixed Limit Omaha, or FLO, runs on the classic Omaha engine: four hole cards, five community cards, and you must use exactly two from your hand with three from the board. The twist is betting. Streets have fixed bet sizes. Preflop and flop use the small bet, turn and river use the big bet. That cap changes everything. You won’t blow people off draws with one big swing, so more hands see showdowns and your edge comes from tight starting ranges, thin value, and sharp turn decisions.
Why FLO plays different
FLO is a value-first grind. Because you can’t bet more than the fixed size, opponents price in with marginal draws, and you’ll often go multiway to the turn. That means second-best hands get punished and bluffs lose bite outside of heads-up pots or scary textures. The turn is the money street because bets double. Raise good turns for value, deny free cards, and make people pay two big bets when they chase. Position still matters a ton. Acting last lets you push value, take free cards with equity when it’s right, and keep pots small with medium strength hands that hate a raise.
A preflop plan that keeps you out of trouble
I start with connected, coordinated hands that can make nut straights and nut flushes in multiple ways. Double suited rundowns like JT98ds or T987ds print. Aces are great when the side cards actually help, like AAJTds or AAQJ with a suit. I ditch rainbow junk with danglers. From early position I stay tight, since I’ll get called anyway. On the button I open more because I’ll realize equity better. My 3-bets are value-heavy, not “isolation” fantasies. You’ll still see multiway flops, so pick hands that stay strong across turns and rivers, not one-trick ponies that make second-best flushes all night.
Street-by-street priorities that win bets
Flop decisions are about setting up the turn. Bet your made hands and strong draws for value, and don’t hand out free cards on wet boards. Semi-bluffing is fine heads-up when you carry real equity plus nut blockers, but don’t light chips in three or four-way pots where someone almost always calls. On the turn, step on the gas. This is where bets double. Raise for value with strong hands and big draws, especially when you have nut advantage. Use turn raises to deny free rivers and to charge dominated draws. River play is about thin value and disciplined folds.
If your line crushes their range and they call too much, value bet even with medium strength (top two on brick rivers, for example). If obvious draws arrive and your hand blocks nothing, just fold and smile. One more FLO staple: the free-card raise. Raising the flop with a big draw can buy you a checked turn, letting you take a free river when you miss. Use it selectively, and prefer position so you control that turn check.
Bankroll and table choices
Variance is gentler than pot limit or no limit, but it’s still Omaha. I like a bankroll measured in big bets, not buy-ins: think 300 to 500 big bets online to keep stress low. Game selection matters more than people think. You want tables where players limp and call down with weak backdoors, overvalue two pair on wet boards, and fail to raise the turn for value. Rake can bite in small pots, so chase good rakeback and avoid short-handed tables with nonstop blind battles unless you have a clear edge.
Quick wins you can apply today
Tighten your early-position opens and add hands on the button that make nut draws in multiple lanes. Bet your good hands and real draws on the flop, then raise profitable turns without hesitation. Fold second-best flushes and naked weak straights when heat arrives and your blockers don’t help. Review showdowns with a tracker and tag two spots: turns you could have raised for value and rivers where you missed thin value. Do that for a couple weeks and Fixed Limit Omaha stops feeling sloggy and starts looking like steady, reliable profit.
Fixed Limit Omaha Hi Lo
Core rules in plain English
Fixed Limit Omaha Hi Lo, or FLO8, runs on the Omaha Hi Lo engine with fixed bet sizes. You get four hole cards, the board has five cards, and you must use exactly two from your hand with three from the board for both high and low. A qualifying low needs five unpaired cards 8 or lower. Straights and flushes do not hurt a low. The betting uses a small bet on preflop and flop, then a big bet on turn and river. Because you cannot blast people off hands with huge bets, more pots go multiway and more hands see showdown.
Why FLO8 plays different
FLO8 rewards tight value and scoop-first thinking. Since prices are capped, opponents peel with marginal draws and chase lows that split. Your edge comes from starting hands that win both ways often and from hammering the turn when bets double. Quartering is a tax you want to dodge. If you only tie for the nut low with no high chance, extra bets feel like paper cuts. Counterfeit risk sits in every pot. A2 looks lovely until the board pairs your ace or deuce and your low shrinks. Position still matters. Acting last lets you take free cards with live equity, press value when ranges are capped, and avoid paying two big bets with one-way traps.
A preflop plan that keeps you out of trouble
I build around an ace and deuce with backup plus a suited ace. A2 with wheel help like 3, 4, or 5 is the bedrock. Double suited versions that also connect up top are premium because they threaten high and secure low. A3 with real backup plays well when it has a suited ace and wheel cards. Rough lows like A5 with junky side cards are money pits. From early position I stay tight and pick hands that can scoop far more often than they chop. In late position I widen, but I still filter for hands that make nut lows with counterfeit protection and carry high routes like broadway or suited aces.
Street-by-street priorities that scoop pots
On the flop I bet ranges that can win both halves, or at least have the nut low draw with strong high potential. Multiway, I avoid spewing bets with low-only gutters that get counterfeited. The turn is where FLO8 prints. Bets double here, so I raise for value when I make the nut low and have a live high draw, or when I hold strong high on boards that might brick a low. That line forces one-way hands to pay two big bets to chase half. If I am likely to get quartered, I keep the pot small. River play is a mix of thin value and disciplined checks. When I have nut low plus a medium high that often gets called by worse, I bet. When obvious lows arrive and my high is shaky, I take the cheap showdown. Heads up I bluff more, especially when I block the nut low and hold live high. In three and four-way pots, someone usually has a piece, so I keep the bluffs honest.
Bankroll and table choices
Variance is softer than pot limit, but it is still Omaha. I like measuring bankroll in big bets. A practical target is 300 to 500 big bets online while learning. Game selection matters. You want tables where people limp, chase low-only hands, and fail to raise the turn for value. Rakeback helps because many pots split and small edges add up. Track your results and tag hands where you paid two big bets while drawing to half. Those leaks drain win rate fast.
Quick wins you can apply today
Play more A2 with wheel backup and a suited ace. Raise turns for value when you have nut low plus high equity. Avoid bloating pots when your plan only wins half or risks getting quartered. On high-only boards, flip to standard limit Omaha and value bet cleanly. After sessions, review every big pot where you held a vulnerable low. If you didn’t have counterfeit protection or a path to scoop, tighten that spot next time. FLO8 rewards patience, clean selection, and a scooping mindset.
Courchevel Poker
Core rules in plain English
Courchevel Poker is five card Omaha with a twist. You get five hole cards and you must use exactly two of them with three from the board. Before any preflop betting, one flop card is dealt face up. After that first betting round, the other two flop cards arrive, then turn and river. Most rooms run Courchevel as pot limit, so your max bet equals the current pot. That single exposed flop card changes selection, bluffing windows, and how you plan hands. It also spikes the action, because a revealed ace or high card points everyone toward the same suit and straight lanes.
Why Courchevel plays different
Seeing one flop card in advance tightens the story for both sides. Ranges cluster around that up-card by suit and rank, and the nut bar climbs because more hands are constructed to hit that lane. Since you hold five cards, equities are already close like 5 Card Omaha. Add the exposed card and you’ll see more flops where multiple players connect well. Position gains value because you get to react after the two hidden flop cards land and people who over-committed preflop now hate life. Set mining gets worse, second-best flushes lose more, and redraw quality matters even more than usual.
A preflop plan that keeps you out of trouble
I start by asking one question. How does my hand interact with the exposed card by suit and rank. If the up-card is the ace of hearts, hands with a suited ace of hearts plus solid connectivity rocket in value. If the up-card is a nine, hands that wrap around nine get a boost. Double suited and well-connected still rule, but quality suits that include the up-card’s suit are gold. I trim pretty hands that miss the lane entirely. Trips in the hole look slick and usually perform poorly unless everything else is working.
Out of position I 3-bet tight and value heavy. In position I attack more when the table under-selects around the up-card and I can press on a lot of flops. The goal is simple. Arrive at the full flop with many ways to make the nuts, not one way to make second-best.
Postflop priorities that win stacks
Once the remaining two flop cards hit, re-check everything. If the texture clearly completes the up-card lane, ranges are strong and you should value bet hands with nut redraws and avoid hero bluffs. If the hidden cards pivot the board away from the obvious lane, you can pressure ranges that over-committed preflop. I size up with combo draws like wrap plus nut flush draw and with nutted hands that keep redraws on dynamic textures. I slow down with medium two pair and even sets that lack help. Blockers matter.
Bluff more when you block the nuts and your line actually tells that story. If you don’t block it, take the hint and check. On paired or monotone boards, be honest. Without nut coverage you are a target.
Bankroll and table choices
Variance in Courchevel feels like 5 Card Omaha with extra whiplash. I like 70 to 120 buy-ins online while learning and I move down fast when focus slips. Rake bites in multiway pots, so chase good rakeback. Game selection helps a lot. You want lineups that overreact to the up-card, overplay second-nut flushes, and refuse to fold wraps that are drawing dead to higher lanes.
Quick wins you can apply today
Tighten hands that ignore the up-card and expand when you connect by suit and rank. Value position even more than usual. Press when the hidden flop cards favor you and your blockers back the story. Control pots with medium strength hands and demand redraws before you stack off. Do that for a couple weeks and Courchevel Poker stops feeling chaotic and starts feeling like a very beatable twist on five card PLO.
Key Takeaways
- Omaha Poker is a family of wild, deep, and skill-heavy games.
- Pot Limit Omaha is the most popular, but 5-card and 6-card are growing fast.
- Omaha Hi-Lo is perfect for split-pot fans and math lovers.
- No Limit and Fixed Limit Omaha offer unique challenges.
- Courchevel and exotic variants keep the game fresh.
- Use the right tools and training to accelerate your learning.
- Pick the variant that fits your goals, risk tolerance, and fun factor.
Omaha Poker FAQs
You get four (or more) hole cards in Omaha and must use exactly two, plus three from the board.
Pot Limit Omaha or Omaha Hi-Lo are the best starting points. They’re popular, easy to find, and have lots of learning resources.
You can find the best bonus and rakeback deals here.
PLO Genius is great for solvers. DriveHUD is perfect for tracking and analysis.
Focus on nut hands, study the rules, and use training resources. Don’t overplay weak draws or non-nut hands.
Omaha rewards deeper study and better hand reading. The skill edge is bigger, but so is the variance.
Some skills transfer, but you’ll need to adjust your thinking. Study Omaha-specific strategy for best results.
