Five card Omaha is a dynamic, addictive and often unpredictable game. The main difference from the classic Omaha is that players are dealt not four, but five pocket cards. Another five cards form a common board.
To collect combinations, you strictly need to use any two pocket cards and three cards from the board.
In the 5 card Omaha, due to the larger number of pocket cards, players always have a chance to get additional outs.
The process of playing 5 card Omaha is completely identical to the process of classic Omaha. Two players make small and big blinds (the positions are shifted clockwise in each subsequent hand); all the players sitting at the table receive 5 pocket cards. The first round of betting at preflop begins. If a player wants to continue to participate in the hand, they must either call the big blind or raise. If not, he or she fold their cards. Trading continues until all players who want to see the flop make equal bets to the bank.
After that, the flop is dealt—three common cards that are available to all players remaining in the hand to form their best combination. Next, there is another round of bidding. The turn is dealt on the board, which is the 4th community card. Players can again raise and call bets.
The last, fifth common card—river—is the final card of the hand, after which players can decide on their final best available combination. The last round of bidding takes place. If there are several active players left in the game, the showdown occurs. The hand is won by the player whose 5-card combination turned out to be the best. If several players have collected equal combinations, the bank is distributed equally between them.
In 5 card Omaha, players should be more strict about the choice of starting hands. At the same time, here it's much more difficult to classify them than it is in Texas Hold'em and 4 card Omaha. To start, it is better to use hands where at least 4 of 5 of your pocket cards interact well (top pairs, broadway and suited cards).
The important point is player's position in the hand. The closer it is to the button, the wider your range of hands can be for opening. All the while, don't forget that the strength of the hand can change dramatically at the flop. If a player does not hit the board at all, then you should not continue to bid, trying to bluff your opponent. Try to calculate all possible outs on each of the streets quickly and accurately. It is also important to narrow the number of opponents in the hand in order to fight one-on-one, not allowing other players to make the best hand on the river.
And remember that the 5 card Omaha is a game of outs and odds. The nut combinations usually win here, and bluffs are extremely rare.