Plo Poker Rules
Are you new at poker and want to learn how to play Pot Limit Omaha (PLO)? Or is Texas Holdem your typical game and you want to add to your repretoire? If you are among the latter folks, pay special attention to the tips below because Omaha players are on the lookout for common Texas mistakes.
Given a minimum of two and a maximum of nine players (usually), one can join in to play Pot Limit Omaha Poker. Since Pot Limit Omaha involves four cards, a lot of changes with respect to the strength of your hand. For example, medium flushes or sets may not qualify for a very great hand.
- PLO Poker Guide is a site dedicated to Omaha poker. Read on for a complete beginner’s guide to PLO poker including rules, strategy, tips and more.
- Omaha rules remain the same for Fixed Limit, No Limit and Pot Limit poker games, with a few exceptions: Pot Limit Omaha. The minimum bet in Pot Limit Omaha is the same as the size of the big blind, but players can always bet up to the size of the pot.
- Poker promotions, events, regular bonuses, gifts from other players and a variety of tables: that 's free Omaha Poker at Celebpoker.com! You 'll find a great variety of tables with 5 or 9 players, game speed (fast and normal) and betting options.
- Pot Limit Omaha Poker offers a nice change for players getting a little burned out on playing Texas Hold 'Em. Learn more in our ultimate guide + the rules.
Below we introduce PLO strategies for starting hand selection and assessment, bankroll management, equity, backdoor outs and kill cards, and hand reading.
Basic PLO Strategy & Tips
Many players give PLO a try as a refreshing change from Texas Holdem. With 4 hole cards and betting limits fixed by the size of the pot, there are new strategy considerations to keep your mind fresh. This article covers some of the key strategy tips you’ll need to keep in mind when your first move over. Remember that experienced PLO players are on the lookout for people making ‘Holdem Player Mistakes’ and are ready to take advantage.
There are 3 main areas covered in this article. First the setup of starting hands and the importance of betting with combinations of cards that work together. Next you’ll find tips covering the relative strengths of hands at showdown. After that some advice on how to avoid giving away the content of your Omaha hand too early.
Pot Limit Omaha Strategy Tips – Starting Hand Selection
In PLO poker, a showdown has very specific rules. You can use 2 and only 2 cards from you own 4 hole-cards, and 3 and only 3 cards from the 5 community cards. Reading the board comes easily with practice, though the effect on starting hand selection is more subtle.
The best Omaha hands are those which have the largest possible number of 2-card combinations which work together – in addition to some high card strength. The best hands are A-A-J-10 with 2 ace high suited pairs, and A-A-K-K also double-suited. Both of these can make top set, straights and nut flushes. Other super-strong hands in PLO are called ‘Rundowns’ and include hands like 9-10-J-Q double suited. Here you have 6 combinations of hands working for you and you can flop draws with up to 21 outs – making you a favorite over a set.
Even one unconnected card halves the number of combinations you have working for you. The really dangerous Omaha starting hands contain small to medium pairs. Sure, you can flop a set now and again, but when the betting gets extra heavy in this game – middle or bottom set is a trap hand. If you are not already beaten by a higher set then you could be facing one or more massive draws which are favorite to beat you.
Pot Limit Omaha Strategy Tips- Relative Hand Strength At Showdown
Hands shown down in PLO are much stronger than you will be used to in Texas Holdem. If you think that each player starts with up to 6 potential 2-card combinations, then it makes sense that hands shown down will be close to the nuts. Just imagine betting into 3 players in Texas Holdem holding 18 hands – one of them must have hit the flop.
If you can get your aces all-in pre-flop then you should do that, however unimproved over-pairs are very unlikely to win the pot when there has been significant action.
Coordinated flops mean you need to make a decision on whether to continue immediately. The betting gets exponentially bigger on each round with pot-limit rules and ‘just calling to see what happens’ can lead you to hit a low straight, non-nut flush or two pair – which will cost you money more often than they make you any.
A good rule of thumb for new players is to only draw to nut hands. The highest straights, nut flushes and the best full-house should all be included. Once you get used to how different opponents are betting in different situations you can add in some non-nut draws like the underfull or King-high flushes.
Pot-Limit Omaha Strategy Tips – Don’t Give Away That Hand Too Early
A common mistake new Omaha players make is to limp or call pre-flop with a wide range of speculative hands – and then suddenly raise with a pair of aces or kings. This is so well known among regular players that many specifically watch for these raises. What you will find is that you instantly end up with 5 callers, and are quickly checked to on the flop.
If you did not improve on the flop you need to be wary, your opponents will know what you have (well, half of your hand at least) and will be ready to build a big pot if they have you beaten. Once you gain some PLO experience of your own you can join in the profitable pastime of watching for aces-only raisers.
Even players who raise a wider range of coordinated hands can fall into this trap sometimes. This happens when only aces are used to re-raise. If you are going to give away your hand in this way you need to make sure that you have no more than one pot-sized bet left after the flop – otherwise it is easily exploitable by observant opponents.
Omaha is a fantastic game and has developed a loyal following online. These tips should keep you from losing too many easy chips while you learn to beat the game.
Advanced PLO Strategy
Once you have learned the basics of starting hand selection, drawing to the nuts and pot-limit betting – you are ready to add some advanced strategies to your PLO armory. This article covers a range of tactics that will help you increase your win-rate in lower buy-in Omaha hi games online.
First you’ll find out how to spot situations where a combination of your current equity and ‘backdoor outs’ make it profitable to call when you are not favorite to win the hand. Next some notes on reading your opponent’s hands. After this I have covered how to distinguish hands which do better heads up from hands which perform well multi-way. Finally some notes on good bankroll management, which is a key skill in the high-variance game of pot-limit Omaha.
Equity, Backdoor Outs and Kill Cards
In Pot-Limit Omaha there are many situations where the pot has gotten so large that you have an easy call with a hand which is likely behind. This is not just for the mega-draws like wrap + flush draw hands, it can be for a simple flush with the pot offering you compelling odds.
What many new players miss is that there is often extra equity from backdoor draws. For example with a flush draw + top-pair hand, you will have chances of trips or even a runner-runner full-house, you may also have straight possibilities. These extras can often add the few percentage points to your equity, which make a fold into a call.
Conversely, there are often cards in the deck which are not clean outs. For example in a classic flush draw against set all-in on the flop, the set has outs to make a full house (7 on the turn and 10 on the river) which effectively kill your flush. Being outdrawn by a flush when you hold the nut straight has the additional risk of higher straight cards appearing as well as the board pairing.
You’ll need to spend some time with an Omaha poker calculator to get used to these kind of match-ups.
Hand Reading in PLO
In my article on Basic PLO Strategy Tips, I outlined how people who raise (or 3-bet) only with hands containing aces will find themselves in trouble in PLO games. There are several more ways you can learn to read the hands of your opponents in Omaha.
Key here is to start with the shape and strength of your opponents hands. You can often find bet sizing tells will give you a clue starting before the flop. For example, some players will only ever re-raise premium hands and will be more likely to raise pair or high card hands and instead call with their rundown hands.
After the flop some players will bet out every time they have a draw, while others will check and call with non-nut (though still strong) draws. With careful observation you can easily pick up patterns. If you are not used to this I recommend you start by focusing on how different opponent play their Aces hands – followed by double suited run-downs. Once you figure whether someone is drawing or ‘protecting’ a made hand from the bet sizing, your decision making process becomes significantly easier.
Multi-Way and Heads-Up Hands
Some Omaha hands perform better in multi-way pots, while others are at their strongest when heads-up. Examples of multi-way hands include the higher rundown hands, preferably double suited. If you hold a high pair with little in the way of coordinated backup then you will ideally find yourself heads-up and with the initiative in the betting. If you miss the flop and face resistance, then high pair hands should usually be ditched.
Simply deciding whether your hand would prefer to be heads-up or multi-way can help you choose a good pre-flop betting strategy. Make sure that you mix things up sometimes though – or observant opponents will know what type of hand you are holding from your betting style.
PLO Bankroll Management
PLO is a high-variance game. You can play great and find yourself missing big draws, having your big sets cracked and find your bankroll going down fast. Of course, this will be balanced by times when you run great too!
In Texas Holdem, the agreed safe bankroll level is 20x your buy-in, so you only have 5% of your bankroll in any one game. In PLO I recommend that you play a little more conservatively with your bankroll, instead opting for 3% on any single table or 30 buy-ins minimum. This will mean you can ride the variance which is natural in this game without having to worry about your entire bankroll disappearing.
Table Of Contents
Plo Poker Rules
Omaha hold'em, often called simply Omaha, is an exciting poker game that is strikingly similar to Texas hold'em, although it does have a number of differences to set it apart.
Unlike Texas hold'em, a game in which the preferred betting structure is no-limit, the most popular betting structure of Omaha games is pot-limit.
Games of this type are referred to as pot-limit Omaha, abbreviated as PLO poker.
The first major difference you'll instantly be aware of when playing PLO poker instead of hold'em is that each player is dealt exactly four hole cards instead of two.
However, players don't use all four hole cards to make a hand because they can only use two of them.
In fact, players must use exactly two of their hole cards along with three of the community cards to make a five-card poker hand.
Let's see an example:
- A player holds — a strong starting hand in pot-limit Omaha.
- The five community cards read
Plo Poker Rules
In a pot limit Omaha game, the player does not hold a flush despite holding the .
Neither does the player have a Broadway straight.
The player actually only has a pair of kings with an ace-kicker.
This may seem a little confusing when you first sit in a PLO game, but it quickly becomes second nature. You just need to play enough Omaha hands to get used to this and to learn how to read the board correctly.
SEE ALSO: Learn Omaha Poker at GGPoker with Daniel Negreanu
What is Pot-Limit Omaha?
To know more about the basics of the game, you can visit these pages:
- How to play Omaha poker: the official rules of the game explained in the easiest way possible.
- Why You Are Losing at Pot-Limit Omaha (With Ryan Laplante): Poker poker pro Ray Laplante helps you become a better player in a 2-minute video lesson.
- Eight Common Mistakes Beginners Make in Pot-Limit Omaha: 888poker ambassador Vivian Saliba shares her thoughts on the most common mistakes beginners make when they approach Omaha poker.
- Best Free Poker Sites in 2020: a list of the top sites to practice Omaha poker for free or play real money games with bonuses.
Main Differences Between Omaha Poker and Texas Hold'em
Besides starting with four hole cards rather than two, there are a few more differences between Texas hold'em and Omaha games.
The Action Preflop
One such difference is that preflop hands in pot-limit Omaha run much closer in terms of poker equity than they do in hold'em.
- In Texas hold'em, a hand such as is an 82.36% favourite over before the flop hits the board.
- In Omaha poker a hand such as will only beat 59.84% of the time.
This closeness in preflop hand strength is one factor leading to players playing more hands, seeing more flops, and PLO being more of a drawing game than hold'em is.
This creates larger pots with the majority of the chips often going into the pot after the flop is dealt.
Hands Strenght
Another key difference is the fact you generally need a stronger hand at showdown to win at pot-limit Omaha than you would in a Texas hold'em game.
In hold'em, it is not uncommon to win a hand with two pair or even a single pair. In Omaha poker, these hands are rarely the best by the river.
The Betting Structure
The other significant difference between pot-limit Omaha and no-limit Texas hold'em is the betting structure.
In no-limit hold'em, players can bet any amount they wish, up to the size of their stack.
Omaha poker, however, is 'pot-limit,' meaning players can only bet the total size of the pot including their call.
Need help to understand the concept of pot-limit games? Let's look at another example.
Imagine a PLO poker hand that is contested between two players.
The pot has $100 in it, which means the maximum the first player can bet is $100.
When it is the second player's turn to act, that player can only bet a maximum of $400.
This is worked out by adding the initial size of the pot ($100), plus the size of the opponent's bet ($100), plus the second player's call of the first bet ($100).
This equals $300, which when added to the $100 call makes the maximum bet $400.
Betting is easier when you play online
While this can be confusing until you are used to playing the game regularly, betting in pot limit Omaha poker is a lot easier if you play online.
When playing Omaha games online you can simply click the 'pot' button and the software figures out the correct amount for you.
SEE ALSO: Want to Play Omaha Games Online? Check Out 888Poker!
Need help? Ask the Dealer to count the chips for you
In a live pot limit Omaha game, if you announce 'pot' before betting the size of the pot, the dealer will assist with the calculations.
Basic Pot-Limit Omaha Strategy
Pot-limit Omaha poker is a complex game, which makes it difficult to come up with the perfect strategy for playing it.
There are a number of pointers that you can remember that can form the basis for a solid pot limit Omaha strategy:
- Be patient with your starting hand selection. Don't fall into the trap of thinking that any four cards are worth playing.
- A bare pair of aces isn't as good as in hold'em. Two aces can help form a strong preflop hand in PLO poker, but unless they improve on the flop you're unlikely to win the pot, especially in a multi-way contested pot.
- There is less bluffing in PLO poker. While bluffing does occur, it's less prevalent in most players' PLO strategy than happens in hold'em; a show of strength in PLO is likely to be a strong hand.
- Draw to the nuts. Although there are times when you can play a weaker draw aggressively, drawing to the nuts is the best idea.
Stop thinking like a hold'em poker player. Many Omaha poker players come from a no-limit hold'em background and play the game as such. They'll overvalue one-pair and two-pair hands, as well as open-ended straight draws (with eight outs).
The latter is particularly problematic since in PLO poker it is possible to have 'wrap' draws with up to 20 outs with the perfect hole card and community card combination!
SEE ALSO: Dealing With Variance in Pot-Limit Omaha
Quick Strategy Tips to Be a Good Omaha Player
While Omaha might not be as 'straightforward' as Texas hold'em, these are some simple strategy tips that will help you get better results at the table — faster.
Go through this list of essential Omaha poker tips, memorise them, and you'll know what to do to become a better player right.
Know what hands to play / fold. The nature of PLO requires you to be smart and take a holistic approach to the cards that compose your starting hand.
Avoid the danglers, for example.
Whenever you decide to play a hand with a 'dangler' (a card that doesn't connect to any of the other cards in your four-card starting hand), you force yourself to play with three cards.
Why is this bad, you ask?
You might think this isn't too bad, especially if the other three cards that compose your hand seem promising.
Think about your opponents, for a moment.
If they go for a 'more conservative' pot limit Omaha poker strategy, they stay in the hand only if they can still play with all four cards, not just three.
By entering the hand with three cards, you are giving others an advantage they shouldn't have.
READ ALSO: You Play Too Loose in These 3 Preflop PLO Situations
Don't play too many hands. Note: this is not only the most important Omaha poker tip you can ever learn — it is a lesson that you should keep for all the poker games you'll ever play in your life.
Once you realize that Omaha poker games have good hands (a few) and bad hands (a lot more), you need to accept the consequences of that.
Select the hands you play and go only for the premium hands.
Omaha, like hold'em, is a game where you need to know when it's time to play and when it's best to fold your cards.
Be patient. Wait until your starting hand fits the range you should play, use the information you have to read your opponents and decide whether you should continue or not.
Know how to read the board and assess the other players' hand strength. Unless you are so good at detecting poker tells that the police use you as a real-life lie detector…be careful.
Omaha poker can become a very expensive game and one where the players don't bluff as much as in hold'em.
If a large bet comes on the board, you better save your hero call for another poker game and fold. Most Omaha players use big bets to protect their hand. Calling their alleged bluffs can be very, very costly.
Understand How Odds and Outs Work. The concepts of odds, outs, and equity are important in all poker games, including pot-limit Omaha.
If you struggle to do the math and understand how everything works, you better rely on the usual beginner's formula.
Start with a free odds calculator and continue using the tool until you learn how to do the calculations in your head.
Three Things NOT to Do in Pot Limit Omaha Poker
While in Sochi, Russia, for an 888poker Live event, PokerNews'own Tiffany Michelle approached 888poker ambassador Vivian Saliba to talk about Pot-Limit Omaha.
With more than $100,000 in PLO tournament winnings and an 11th-place finish in a PLO event at the World Series of Poker, Saliba is known (and respected) to be a good Omaha poker player — perhaps even the best one in the 888poker team.
In her conversation with Michelle, Saliba touched on the three most common mistakes she sees poker players make at the table when they play Omaha poker.
Don't Freak Out When Short Stacked
'When you have seven or 10 big blinds (BB) you are not that short. You still have a lot of room to pick your spot and to pick your right hand,' Saliba explains.
Confirming one of the Omaha tips we shared earlier, patience is the key. 'You need to be very patient. I see too many people just going crazy [because] they think they are super-short.'
'Poker is about survival,' Saliba continues. 'Tournaments are about survival. PLO is like that, too — just perhaps at another level. You need to learn to manage risks all the time..'
Don't Play a Lot of Hands
If you thought our list of Omaha strategy tips was the only one mentioning the sheer volume of hands beginners play — think again.
'You have four cards,' Saliba explains. 'I know they look pretty — but this is the same for your opponent.'
If you plan on staying in the hand and invest your stack, 'you really need to have strong high cards, high pairs, drawing for the nuts.'
'You shouldn't be playing multi-way pots with weak draws or [small] pairs. You have to select the hands you play.'
Don't Assume It's Just Like No Limit Hold'Em
It's no secret that the majority of players that get into Pot Limit Omaha poker come from Texas hold'em.
According to Saliba, many of them make one common mistake: 'they think Omaha poker is simply hold'em with four cards.
'There are a lot of differences between the two games in terms of hands, of strength, theory, approaches, and more.'
'There are so many things that before you start playing PLO you should stop and study the game. Omaha is not as simple as people think.'
Best Starting Hands in Pot-Limit Omaha Poker
Like other variants of poker, pot limit Omaha success begins with solid starting hand selection.
The very best Omaha poker players in the world play a wide range of poker hands, but those new to the game should stick to hands that are stronger and therefore easier to play.
The best PLO poker starting hands are those that have a big pair in them and some connectedness that allows them to improve post-flop.
Ideally, your hands will be what is known as 'double-suited,' meaning you have the chance to flop two different flush draws.
E.g., is a nice double-suited starting hand with a big pair.
Computer simulations show that double-suited is the best pot-limit Omaha starting hand.
Flopping a set with this hand means you'll always have top set, while any flush draw will be to the nuts.
Other strong hands containing a pair of aces include and , while double-suited run-down holdings such as are also very playable.
SEE ALSO: You Can't Play Them All: Evaluating Starting Hands in Pot-Limit Omaha
Final Considerations
As you have probably gathered, pot-limit Omaha poker is an exciting game that creates big pots, and sees players make big hands regularly.
As great as this is, the big thing you need to consider is playing Omaha poker requires a larger bankroll than hold'em variants mostly because of the closeness in the strength of hands both preflop and postflop.
It's common to not have more than 60% equity on the flop against a single opponent, which can and does lead to some crazy swings!
When you run good at pot limit Omaha, you usually run very good, but the flipside is also true. Remember it when you play!
Top Omaha Poker Sites
This article was originally published on March 1, 2016. The last update includes new info, including a list of practical Omaha strategy tips and Vivian Saliba's insights on the most common mistakes beginners make when they play Omaha poker.
Tags
cash game strategytournament strategypot-limit OmahaOmaha pokerPLObeginner strategystarting hand selectionequity