How to Play PLO - A Beginner's Guide to Pot-Limit Omaha
February 11, 2024 Matthew Pitt Senior Editor
Omaha hold'em, often called 4️⃣ simply Omaha, is an exciting poker game that is strikingly similar to Texas hold'em, although it does have a number 4️⃣ of differences to set it apart.
Unlike Texas hold'em, a game in which the preferred betting structure is no-limit, the most 4️⃣ popular betting structure of Omaha games is pot-limit.
Games of this type are referred to as pot-limit Omaha, abbreviated as PLO 4️⃣ poker.
The first major difference you'll instantly be aware of when playing PLO poker instead of hold'em is that each player 4️⃣ is dealt exactly four hole cards instead of two.
However, players don't use all four hole cards to make a hand 4️⃣ because they can only use two of them.
In fact, players must use exactly two of their hole cards along with 4️⃣ three of the community cards to make a five-card poker hand.
Let's see an example:
A player holds A ♥ K ♣ 4️⃣ Q ♠ J ♣ — a strong starting hand in pot-limit Omaha.
— a strong starting hand in pot-limit Omaha. The 4️⃣ five community cards read K♥10♥6♠3♥2♥
In a pot limit Omaha game, the player does not hold a flush despite holding the 4️⃣ A♥.
Neither does the player have a Broadway straight.
The player actually only has a pair of kings with an ace-kicker.
This may 4️⃣ seem a little confusing when you first sit in a PLO game, but it quickly becomes second nature. You just 4️⃣ need to play enough Omaha hands to get used to this and to learn how to read the board correctly.
SEE 4️⃣ ALSO: Learn Omaha Poker at GGPoker with Daniel Negreanu
Top Online Poker Sites Of 2024 Play online poker games on the 4️⃣ top online poker sites of 2024 and join thousands of other players in exciting games of Texas Hold'em, Omaha, and 4️⃣ more! GET STARTED
What is Pot-Limit Omaha?
To know more about the basics of the game, you can visit these pages:
Main Differences 4️⃣ Between Omaha Poker and Texas Hold'em
Besides starting with four hole cards rather than two, there are a few more differences 4️⃣ between Texas hold'em and Omaha games.
The Action Preflop
One such difference is that preflop hands in pot-limit Omaha run much closer 4️⃣ in terms of poker equity than they do in hold'em.
In Texas hold'em , a hand such as A ♥ A 4️⃣ ♠ is an 82.36% favourite over K ♥ K ♠ before the flop hits the board.
, a hand such as 4️⃣ is an 82.36% favourite over before the flop hits the board. In Omaha poker a hand such as A♠A♥7♦6♦ will 4️⃣ only beat K♥K♠Q♥J♠ 59.84% of the time.
This closeness in preflop hand strength is one factor leading to players playing more 4️⃣ hands, seeing more flops, and PLO being more of a drawing game than hold'em is.
This creates larger pots with the 4️⃣ majority of the chips often going into the pot after the flop is dealt.
Hands Strenght
Another key difference is the fact 4️⃣ you generally need a stronger hand at showdown to win at pot-limit Omaha than you would in a Texas hold'em 4️⃣ game.
In hold'em, it is not uncommon to win a hand with two pair or even a single pair. In Omaha 4️⃣ poker, these hands are rarely the best by the river.
The Betting Structure
The other significant difference between pot-limit Omaha and no-limit 4️⃣ Texas hold'em is the betting structure.
In no-limit hold'em, players can bet any amount they wish, up to the size of 4️⃣ their stack.
Omaha poker, however, is "pot-limit," meaning players can only bet the total size of the pot including their call.
Need 4️⃣ help to understand the concept of pot-limit games? Let's look at another example.
Imagine a PLO poker hand that is contested 4️⃣ between two players.
The pot hasR$100 in it, which means the maximum the first player can bet isR$100.
When it is the 4️⃣ second player's turn to act, that player can only bet a maximum ofR$400.
This is worked out by adding the initial 4️⃣ size of the pot ($100), plus the size of the opponent's bet ($100), plus the second player's call of the 4️⃣ first bet ($100).
This equalsR$300, which when added to theR$100 call makes the maximum betR$400.
Betting is easier when you play online
While 4️⃣ this can be confusing until you are used to playing the game regularly, betting in pot limit Omaha poker is 4️⃣ a lot easier if you play online.
When playing Omaha games online you can simply click the "pot" button and the 4️⃣ software figures out the correct amount for you.
SEE ALSO: Want to Play Omaha Games Online? Check Out 888Poker!
Need help? Ask 4️⃣ the Dealer to count the chips for you
In a live pot limit Omaha game, if you announce "pot" before betting 4️⃣ the size of the pot, the dealer will assist with the calculations.
Basic Pot-Limit Omaha Strategy
Pot-limit Omaha poker is a complex 4️⃣ game, which makes it difficult to come up with the perfect strategy for playing it.
There are a number of pointers 4️⃣ that you can remember that can form the basis for a solid pot limit Omaha strategy:
Be patient with your starting 4️⃣ hand selection. Don't fall into the trap of thinking that any four cards are worth playing.
Don't fall into the trap 4️⃣ of thinking that four cards are worth playing. A bare pair of aces isn't as good as in hold'em. Two 4️⃣ aces can help form a strong preflop hand in PLO poker, but unless they improve on the flop you're unlikely 4️⃣ to win the pot, especially in a multi-way contested pot.
Two aces can help form a strong preflop hand in PLO 4️⃣ poker, but unless they improve on the flop you're unlikely to win the pot, especially in a multi-way contested pot. 4️⃣ There is less bluffing in PLO poker. While bluffing does occur, it's less prevalent in most players' PLO strategy than 4️⃣ happens in hold'em; a show of strength in PLO is likely to be a strong hand.
While bluffing does occur, it's 4️⃣ less prevalent in most players' PLO strategy than happens in hold'em; a show of strength in PLO is likely to 4️⃣ be a strong hand. Draw to the nuts. Although there are times when you can play a weaker draw aggressively, 4️⃣ drawing to the nuts is the best idea.
Although there are times when you can play a weaker draw aggressively, drawing 4️⃣ to the nuts is the best idea. Stop thinking like a hold'em poker player. Many Omaha poker players come from 4️⃣ 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 4️⃣ straight draws (with eight outs). The latter is particularly problematic since in PLO poker it is possible to have "wrap" 4️⃣ draws with up to 20 outs with the perfect hole card and community card combination!
SEE ALSO: Dealing With Variance in 4️⃣ Pot-Limit Omaha
Top Online Poker Sites Of 2024 Play online poker games on the top online poker sites of 2024 and 4️⃣ join thousands of other players in exciting games of Texas Hold'em, Omaha, and more! GET STARTED
Quick Strategy Tips to Be 4️⃣ a Good Omaha Player
While Omaha might not be as "straightforward" as Texas hold'em, these are some simple strategy tips that 4️⃣ will help you get better results at the table — faster.
Go through this list of essential Omaha poker tips, memorise 4️⃣ them, and you'll know what to do to become a better player right.
Know what hands to play / fold. The 4️⃣ nature of PLO requires you to be smart and take a holistic approach to the cards that compose your starting 4️⃣ hand.
Avoid the danglers, for example.
Whenever you decide to play a hand with a 'dangler' (a card that doesn't connect to 4️⃣ any of the other cards in your four-card starting hand), you force yourself to play with three cards.
Why is this 4️⃣ bad, you ask?
You might think this isn't too bad, especially if the other three cards that compose your hand seem 4️⃣ promising.
Think about your opponents, for a moment.
If they go for a 'more conservative' pot limit Omaha poker strategy, they stay 4️⃣ in the hand only if they can still play with all four cards, not just three.
By entering the hand with 4️⃣ three cards, you are giving others an advantage they shouldn't have.
READ ALSO: You Play Too Loose in These 3 Preflop 4️⃣ PLO Situations
Don't play too many hands. Note: this is not only the most important Omaha poker tip you can ever 4️⃣ learn — it is a lesson that you should keep for all the poker games you'll ever play in your 4️⃣ life.
Once you realize that Omaha poker games have good hands (a few) and bad hands (a lot more), you need 4️⃣ to accept the consequences of that.
Select the hands you play and go only for the premium hands.
Omaha, like hold'em, is 4️⃣ a game where you need to know when it's time to play and when it's best to fold your cards.
Be 4️⃣ patient. Wait until your starting hand fits the range you should play, use the information you have to read your 4️⃣ opponents and decide whether you should continue or not.
Know how to read the board and assess the other players' hand 4️⃣ strength. Unless you are so good at detecting poker tells that the police use you as a real-life lie detector…be 4️⃣ careful.
Omaha poker can become a very expensive game and one where the players don't bluff as much as in hold'em.
If 4️⃣ a large bet comes on the board, you better save your hero call for another poker game and fold. Most 4️⃣ Omaha players use big bets to protect their hand. Calling their alleged bluffs can be very, very costly.
Understand How Odds 4️⃣ and Outs Work. The concepts of odds, outs, and equity are important in all poker games, including pot-limit Omaha.
If you 4️⃣ struggle to do the math and understand how everything works, you better rely on the usual beginner's formula.
Start with a 4️⃣ free odds calculator and continue using the tool until you learn how to do the calculations in your head.
Three Things 4️⃣ NOT to Do in Pot Limit Omaha Poker
While in Sochi, Russia, for an 888poker Live event, PokerNews'own Tiffany Michelle approached 4️⃣ 888poker ambassador Vivian Saliba to talk about Pot-Limit Omaha.
With more thanR$100,000 in PLO tournament winnings and an 11th-place finish in 4️⃣ a PLO event at the World Series of Poker, Saliba is known (and respected) to be a good Omaha poker 4️⃣ player — perhaps even the best one in the 888poker team.
In her conversation with Michelle, Saliba touched on the three 4️⃣ most common mistakes she sees poker players make at the table when they play Omaha poker.
Don't Freak Out When Short 4️⃣ Stacked
"When you have seven or 10 big blinds (BB) you are not that short. You still have a lot of 4️⃣ room to pick your spot and to pick your right hand," Saliba explains.
Confirming one of the Omaha tips we shared 4️⃣ earlier, patience is the key. "You need to be very patient. I see too many people just going crazy [because] 4️⃣ they think they are super-short."
"Poker is about survival," Saliba continues. "Tournaments are about survival. PLO is like that, too — 4️⃣ just perhaps at another level. You need to learn to manage risks all the time.."
Don't Play a Lot of Hands
If 4️⃣ you thought our list of Omaha strategy tips was the only one mentioning the sheer volume of hands beginners play 4️⃣ — think again.
"You have four cards," Saliba explains. "I know they look pretty — but this is the same for 4️⃣ your opponent."
If you plan on staying in the hand and invest your stack, "you really need to have strong high 4️⃣ cards, high pairs, drawing for the nuts."
"You shouldn't be playing multi-way pots with weak draws or [small] pairs. You have 4️⃣ 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 4️⃣ that get into Pot Limit Omaha poker come from Texas hold'em.
According to Saliba, many of them make one common mistake: 4️⃣ "they think Omaha poker is simply hold'em with four cards.
"There are a lot of differences between the two games in 4️⃣ terms of hands, of strength, theory, approaches, and more."
"There are so many things that before you start playing PLO you 4️⃣ should stop and study the game. Omaha is not as simple as people think."
Best Starting Hands in Pot-Limit Omaha Poker
Like 4️⃣ other variants of poker, pot limit Omaha success begins with solid starting hand selection.
The very best Omaha poker players in 4️⃣ the world play a wide range of poker hands, but those new to the game should stick to hands that 4️⃣ are stronger and therefore easier to play.
The best PLO poker starting hands are those that have a big pair in 4️⃣ them and some connectedness that allows them to improve post-flop.
Ideally, your hands will be what is known as "double-suited," meaning 4️⃣ you have the chance to flop two different flush draws.
E.g., A♠A♦7♠6♦ is a nice double-suited starting hand with a big 4️⃣ pair.
Computer simulations show that AxAxKxKx double-suited is the best pot-limit Omaha starting hand.
Flopping a set with this hand means you'll 4️⃣ always have top set, while any flush draw will be to the nuts.
Other strong hands containing a pair of aces 4️⃣ include AxAxJx10x and AxAxQxQx, while double-suited run-down holdings such as J♠10♦9♠8♦ are also very playable.
SEE ALSO: You Can't Play Them 4️⃣ All: Evaluating Starting Hands in Pot-Limit Omaha
Final Considerations
As you have probably gathered, pot-limit Omaha poker is an exciting game that 4️⃣ creates big pots, and sees players make big hands regularly.
As great as this is, the big thing you need to 4️⃣ consider is playing Omaha poker requires a larger bankroll than hold'em variants mostly because of the closeness in the strength 4️⃣ of hands both preflop and postflop.
It's common to not have more than 60% equity on the flop against a single 4️⃣ opponent, which can and does lead to some crazy swings!
When you run good at pot limit Omaha, you usually run 4️⃣ very good, but the flipside is also true. Remember it when you play!
Top Omaha Poker Sites
This article was originally published 4️⃣ on March 1, 2024. The last update includes new info, including a list of practical Omaha strategy tips and Vivian 4️⃣ Saliba's insights on the most common mistakes beginners make when they play Omaha poker.
Sharelines Introducing pot-limit Omaha, the action-filled poker 4️⃣ variant that's become a favored game for many.
