Online Poker » Dealers Choice Games » Oklahoma

Oklahoma poker is a variant of the popular Omaha poker game format. Omaha poker was originally developed in the 1970s and could be found in most major states in the US by the 1980s, including Oklahoma. Eventually, Omaha poker became a big hit in Las Vegas as a poker variant where players had to use exactly two pocket cards to complete their hand. Oklahoma poker is based on the same principle but requires you to discard two hole cards as the round progresses.

Difference between Oklahoma and Omaha Poker

Oklahoma and Omaha poker share the same game play structure, but there is a key difference in the way that hole cards are managed. You are able to keep all 4 of your hole cards in Omaha poker throughout the entire round. This allows you more options as the round progresses and you will be able potentially adjust your final hand depending on how the community cards combine with your hole cards.

In Oklahoma poker, you begin with 4 hole cards and will only be able to use 2 of them at the end - just like in Omaha Poker. However, you must discard one hole card during the second betting round and discard another hole card during the third betting round. This means that you are left with 3 hole cards before the fourth community card is dealt and only 2 hole cards before the final community card is dealt. Once you reach the second and third betting round, you must discard a card in order to stay in the game. Every player enters the final betting round with 2 hole cards that are used to create the best possible five card combination.

Oklahoma Poker Game Rules

Oklahoma Poker uses the following structured rules:

4 hole cards are dealt to each player and the first betting round occurs before the first three community cards are dealt.

In the second betting round, players must discard a hole card before making a bet.

After the fourth community card is dealt, players discard a second hole card and participate in the third betting round.

The final participating players all now have 2 hole cards each and the fifth community card is dealt.

The fourth and last betting round occurs. No hole cards are discarded by any of the players at this point.

The remaining players use their 2 hole cards and 3 community cards to generate the best five card hand.

You may only discard one hole card per betting round. If you discard a hole card and the betting action circulates back to you during the same round, you have the option of checking, calling, betting, raising or re-raising without being forced to discard another hole card. The basis of Oklahoma poker is not to remove as many hole cards as possible from your opponents, but to leave all participating players with only 2 hole cards to use by the end of the game.