Omaha and Texas Hold'em are two of the most popular poker games in the world, both live and online. But you should not be fooled into thinking that these are one in the same game, and the skills and strategy you know from the one game applies to the other. 

Both of these games are known as Hold'em games. This is because in each game the players have hole cards that they combine with community cards to make the best five card poker hand.  

The games are similar in structure, but there are some differences. The main difference is that in Texas Hold'em you receive two cards and can use any combination of those cards and the five community cards. In Omaha, you receive four hole cards and have to use two of your hole cards with three community cards. Also, Hold'em is always played in a High version game, while Omaha is often played in a High/Low version game. 

Similarities between the games 

Texas Hold'em and Omaha Hold'em are similar in various ways. The main similarity is that both games feature hole cards that are used in combination with community cards. The structure of the game is also exactly the same. 

Difference between the games 

The main difference between Texas Hold'em and Omaha Hold'em is the number of hole cards players receive. In Texas players receive two hole cards and can use them both or none to make the best five card hand. In Omaha you receive five cards and must use two of them. 

Differences in strategy 

Omaha strategy and Hold’em strategy are completely different, so you must not think that if you know the rules of Hold’em that you can play Omaha, or vice versa. The differences in strategy are: 

Relative hand strength - The relative hand strength of the two games is a noticeable difference in strategy. In Texas a winning hand usually consists of a pair of Aces or a two pair. In Omaha the winning hands are more commonly flushes, straights and full houses. 

High/Low split - Another difference between the two games is that Omaha is usually played in a High/Low version, while Texas is played in a High version. 

Drawing power - In Texas, draws are quite common, but in Omaha they are almost always present in the game. 

Author Bio 

This article was written for All Africa Poker and offers tips on how to be a successful online poker player.