Omaha and Texas Hold'em are currently the two most popular poker games in the world, both in live casinos and at online poker sites. They are both actually forms of 'Hold'em', meaning that 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, as the only real difference is that in Texas Hold'em you receive two cards and can use any combination of those cards and the five community cards, and in Omaha you receive four hole cards and have to use two of your hole cards with three community cards (Learn more about Omaha Poker Starting Hands). Also, Hold'em is always played in a High format, but Omaha is often played in a High/Low split game.

Similarities Between the Games

There are tons of similarities between Texas Hold'em and Omaha Hold'em. The main difference is the fact that both games have hole cards that are used in combination with community cards. Also, the structure of the games are exactly the same - players receive cards, bet, see the flop (the first three community cards), bet again, see the turn (fourth community card), bet again, see the river (last community card), bet again, and have a showdown.

Differences Between the Games

1. Implied odds differ between limit and no limit poker games. Limit decisions are constructed from the idea of the single bet’s risk to the return size of the pot (pot odds). The exact amount you and your opponent are betting is present in limit, but not as quite in no limit poker games.
2. 'Limit poker is a science and no limit poker is an art form.' Let's analyze the differences using the quote above. Starting with limit hold'em, the 'science' aspect of the quote makes sense because limit hold'em is more of a mechanical game.

The most noticeable difference between Hold'em and Omaha is the relative hand strength for each game. In Hold'em you'll commonly see hands like a pair of Aces or two pair winning at showdown. However, when you play Omaha you'll notice that winning hands at showdown are more commonly flushes, straights, and full houses. No limit hold’em has been called by many but most notably, Doyle Brunson (legendary poker player), as the ‘Cadillac of poker’. Its name says it all – there is no limit, except the size of the blinds. Still using the same blind structure as $1 and $2, the first player to act can call, fold or raise. In its most rudimentary form the main difference between the two is that implied odds drive no-limit and in limit making or saving an extra big bet is what separates good players from their mediocre brethren. One might make the analogy of the first game being similar to a roller coaster and the second a carrousel.

The main difference between Omaha and Texas Hold'em is the number of hole cards you receive, and how you can use them. In Texas Hold'em you receive two hole cards, and can use one, both, or none to make the best five card poker hand. In Omaha you receive four cards, and must use two of them. For example, if you have a hand of 2-3-4-5 and the board is A-K-K-8-7, contrary to popular belief you do not have an Ace-Five straight. Your best hand would be K-K-A-5-4 because you would have to use the four and five from your hand.

Differences in Strategy

If you've previously played Texas Hold'em, you need to forget everything you know about Hold'em to become a successful Omaha player. Here are some of the major strategy differences between the two games:

Relative Hand Strength

The most noticeable difference between Hold'em and Omaha is the relative hand strength for each game. In Hold'em you'll commonly see hands like a pair of Aces or two pair winning at showdown. However, when you play Omaha you'll notice that winning hands at showdown are more commonly flushes, straights, and full houses. The main idea is that you shouldn't treat top pair or even two pair the same in Omaha as you would in Hold'em.

High/Low Split

Another big difference between Hold'em and Omaha is the fact that Omaha is often played in a High/Low version of the game, while Hold'em is always played in the High version. If you end up in a high/low Omaha game, make sure to remember that the pot is actually split in half - there is a High pot and a Low pot. To learn more about Omaha high/low, read our Introduction to Omaha Hi-Lo.

Drawing Power

In Hold'em draws are fairly common, but in Omaha they are a hugely important part of the game. Since each player has four cards major draws will be much more common, so if you have a made hand on the flop you need to bet it extremely hard to try to defend your hand.

More Omaha Poker Strategy:

If you play Limit Hold’em the same way you play No Limit Hold’em (or vice versa), you’ll lose money. The gameplay is the same in both versions of the game. You still get two hole cards, there’s still a three-card flop, a turn, and a river.

But other than gameplay details, they’re almost like two totally different games. In fact, you can be a great no limit player and a lousy limit player at the same time, and vice versa.

In this post, I look at some of the differences between Limit Hold’em and No Limit Hold’em.

1 – You Shouldn’t Limp in Limit, But It’s a Good Move in No Limit Games

If no one else has gotten involved in a pot in a Limit Hold’em game, it’s almost never correct to limp. But some of the best no limit players in the world often limp.

Some of the best no limit players in the world sometimes limp with premium hands like pocket aces but also limp with suited connectors like 8/9 suited.

Also, in limit, if you limp and someone else raises, the most aggressive move you can make is to re-raise. This only serves to increase the size of the pot. And for the rest of the hand, you’re out of position.

In no limit, though, you can limp in, get raised, and re-raise any amount you like up to the total number of chips in front of you. You can use this tactic to trap your opponents when you have a huge pair like aces.

In the poker book Super/System, Doyle Brunson suggests limping with pocket aces from early position in the hope that someone will raise you. When they do, you can re-raise all-in.

Finally, if you do some research into the concept of implied odds, it will become obvious why limping can make more sense in a no limit game. The potential of doubling through in no limit is much bigger than it is in a limit game.

2 – Drawing Hands Are Played Differently in No Limit Hold’em

In a limit game, you might get into the flop cheap with a big ace and a suited smaller card. Let’s say you have five opponents in the pot with you. On the flop, you get two more cards of the same suit, so you have four cards to a flush.

And in a limit game, if everyone checks, it would be the right move to bet this hand. If everyone folds, you win the pot. If not, you get more money in the pot with a good probability of hitting a big hand.

But in a no limit game, a lot of deceptive players might check-raise in this situation, which makes a bet from you unprofitable. Making a bet or a raise with a flush draw can turn into a bad calling situation in a heartbeat.

Your goal is to force your opponents to make hard decisions. Don’t put yourself in a situation where YOU have to make a hard decision.

3 – The Size of Your Chip Stack Makes More of a Difference in a No Limit Game

In the example above, you might be okay with committing to a hand like this with a short stack. You can go all in or make a small bet on the flop when everyone checks to you.

Difference Between No Limit And Limit Poker Tournaments

Either way, you have a good probably of doubling up here. If you get multiple callers, you might even triple the size of your stack.

I experienced this phenomenon just last night. I’d lost 80% of my initial stack in my first hour of play, but I went all in with a short stack and hit my flush on the river. Since I had two callers, I got paid off.

And I still had some money in my overall bankroll to try a different table if I lost my entire bankroll.

In fact, one of my opponents went all in with me three different times and lost every time before I left the table. Since he’d taken most of my chips earlier in the session, I felt great about this.

4 – It’s Harder to Protect Your Hand in a Limit Hold’em Game

If you get a big hand preflop in no limit, you can make bigger bets and raises to protect your hand. You can make these bets and raises both preflop and on the flop. And you should protect your hand.

Don’t let your opponents draw out on you unless they’re willing to pay for it. You protect your hand with a simple move, too. You just place big bets and make big raises.

Trapping opponents can be fun and satisfying, but protecting your hand in No Limit Hold’em should be an integral part of your strategy at the No Limit Hold’em table.

5 – Implied Odds Are More Important in No Limit Hold’em

I mentioned implied odds earlier, but here’s a more detailed explanation.

Since players can make bigger bets and raises at any point in a no limit Hold’em game, the implied odds are always better in No Limit Hold’em than they are in Limit Hold’em, where the sizes of the bets and raises are limited.

This applies to tournaments, too. Many players are super tight in the early rounds of a no limit tournament, but keep in mind that you can see a lot of cheap flops with the intention of doubling your stack when you hit.

6 – Math Is Arguably More Important in Limit Hold’em Than in No Limit Hold’em

If you can’t calculate implied odds and pot odds accurately in limit Hold’em, you’re in trouble. On the other hand, that math is still important in no limit, but it’s arguably less important than reading other players and mixing up your play.

For example, in a no limit game, it’s probably a good idea to fold even an open straight draw in a no limit game. If you do play a drawing hand like that in no limit, it’s a good idea to try to steal the pot early with it by semi-bluffing.

On the other hand, because of the limited amount of exposure you have to your bankroll in a limit game, it makes sense to call down to the river with an open straight draw, but only if you have multiple other players in the hand.

The main thing to remember in Limit Hold’em is that you’ll fold less often. This is because raises increase the cost to you to play linearly in Limit Hold’em.

In No Limit Hold’em, the risk increases exponentially because of the much larger bets and raises you’ll face in a no limit game.

7 – Lower Value Starting Hands Increase in Value in a Limit Game

In a No Limit game, preflop, the big pairs are important because of the potential to get so much money in the pot with the best of it. Most pots in a no limit game are fought out between two or three players.

In limit Hold’em, though, it’s cheaper to get into the flop and easier to get out of the hand, so you’ll see more players per pot.

This means that it makes sense to play drawing hands more often. It’s cheap to get in, and since you have multiple opponents putting money into the pot, you’ll be more likely to get paid off when your hand hits.

Suited connectors are a better deal for you in Limit Hold’em than they are in No Limit Hold’em, unless you can get into the pot dirt cheap before the flop with them. And that’s unusual in no limit.

Difference Between No Limit And Limit Poker Real Money

Conclusion

When it comes to playing real money Texas holdem, limit and no limit are two entirely different games, even though the mechanics of play are basically the same.

The strategic adjustments you need to make to succeed at one over the other are dramatic and shouldn’t be underestimated.

You can find books that cover Limit Hold’em as a separate subject from No Limit Hold’em.

You should read such books and put into practice what you’ve learned from them.