Pot Limit Omaha (PLO) is an exciting version of poker which is growing in popularity. It’s different from Texas Hold’em and more difficult to master, but those who take the time to learn good strategy stand a better chance of making a profit playing PLO poker. Here are some basic strategies that successful Pot Limit Omaha players use.

1. Omaha Poker Pot Limit
2. Pot Limit Omaha Poker Strategy
3. Pot Limit Omaha Strategy

Don’t overestimate your hand

Pot-Limit Omaha Poker Strategy Pot Limit Omaha (PLO) is an exciting version of poker which is growing in popularity. It’s different from Texas Hold’em and more difficult to master, but those who take the time to learn good strategy stand a better chance of making a profit playing PLO poker. Pot Limit Omaha, better known as PLO for short, has been growing in popularity over the past few years.Featuring similar rules to Texas Hold’em but adding more strategic elements and more excitement, PLO is an excellent choice for players looking for something new that they don’t actually have to learn from scratch. Essential Pot Control One of the common themes of No-Limit strategy is pot control. Because Pot-Limit is more pot odds-based than No-Limit, pot control is a crucial component of a winning strategy. You make money in poker by letting your opponents make mistakes and capitalizing on them. Pot Limit Poker: The Big Play Strategy by Jeff Hwang, (Rating 10/10) – This book is an excellent resource on learning how to best approach live full ring PLO games. In addition, it also has excellent beginning material on Pot Limit and Limit Omaha Eight or Better.

Remember, the two additional hole cards in PLO strengthen the average hand compared to Texas Hold’em, so don’t assume that a hand that would be strong in Hold’em will be as strong in Omaha. In addition, the value of a good hand is not as dominant meaning your percentages are reduced. The strongest hand on the flop still only has a slight advantage over a set of four random cards so betting the minimum to stay in the hand is a common PLO poker strategy.

Don’t be fooled by hole card sequences

Being dealt with what looks like the beginning of a straight may tempt you into betting, but remember, you’ll have to discard two of your hole cards and it’s unlikely you’ll have a winning hand by the river. The nature of the game means that the winning hands in Pot Limit Hold’em are often much stronger than in the Texas variation.

Don’t play small pairs

If you are dealt a small pair, the chances are your hand will fail at the flop. If you are lucky enough to draw a set, it is likely to get beaten by a higher value hand. Low-value pairs are nothing to get excited about in PLO.

Small flushes are easily beaten

Any flush less than queen high is likely to get beaten in a game featuring several opponents. Unless you have a nut flush, you should proceed with extreme caution.

Your discarded hole cards have an effect on the game

If you are dealt two aces, a king and a queen, you will most likely play the two aces. But you will play the hand knowing that at least one king and one queen is out of the game. Therefore, your hand has more value than if you played two aces after being dealt two aces, a four and a three.

Don’t try and bluff your way through a hand

Bluffing is not very effective as an Omaha poker strategy. Players usually play to the strength of their hand, so will continue even if you try and call their bluff. Your bluffing could actually expose you as a weak player and give your opponents an advantage. That’s not to say bluffing does not have its place in Omaha strategy, but it is used much more sparingly and at opportune moments.

Beginner Pot Limit Omaha Strategy

• Introduction To Pot Limit Omaha — The Where, What and Why Of Omaha Poker – A Great Primer For Players New To The Game!
• Some PLO Pre Flop Notes – It is important to learn the basic pre-flop theories before advancing to post flop complex scenarios.
• Working Through a Downswing – It happens us all. How we prepare and react to a downswing is what defines how good we are as poker players.
• Domination Before The Flop — Domination Is A Familiar Term For Texas Holdem Players – This Article Looks At How This Works In PLO Poker Games
• Heads-Up Pot-Limit Omaha Poker – An Introduction — Introducing Heads-Up Pot-Limit Omaha Strategy, The Key Factors To Consider.
• Playing When The Board Pairs — This Beginner PLO Poker Strategy Article Looks At Playing Both Paired Boards And Those Showing Trips.
• PLO Starting Hands Part #1 – Combinations vs High Pairs In Pot Limit Omaha — How To Pick The Best PLO Starting Hands – Omaha Hand Combinations Explained!
• PLO Starting Hands Part #2 — How To Pick The Best PLO Starting Hands – Pot Limit Omaha Starting Hand Ranks.
• PLO Starting Chart — Exclusive Omaha starting hands chart that will help you refine your ranges and make you a tougher opponent.
• PLO Beginner’s Strategy – Playing After The Flop — Raise, Call or Fold? Post Flop Pot Limit Omaha Strategy Explained!
• Bankroll Management for PLO – How Big Should Your Omaha Poker Bankroll Be? — Omaha Is A High-Variance Game, Make Sure Your Bankroll Can Withstand The PLO Swings!
• How To Increase Your Omaha Profits With PLO Table Selection — Selecting The Right Tables Can Improve Your PLO Profits!
• Opponent Types In Pot-Limit Omaha – A Light-Hearted Look At PLO Opponents — Calling Stations, Pounders and Nut-Peddlars… Common PLO Opponent Types Assessed!
• 6-Max PLO Strategy – Adjusting For 6-Max PLO Games — 6-Max PLO Is Hugely Popular – Increase Your Omaha Profits With Our Guide To 6-Max PLO Strategy.
• Adjusting To The Micro-Stakes Tables In Pot-Limit Omaha — Micro-Stakes PLO Can Be Both Profitable And Exasperating – Find Out What Adjustments To Make Here!
• Texas Holdem vs PLO – 5 Key Differences Between Holdem and Omaha Used To Texas Holdem But Keen To Try Omaha? Then This Guide Is For You.

Advanced Pot Limit Omaha Strategy

• Bluffing and Semi Bluffing in PLO — Advanced bluffing techniques are what help us to become a real pain to play against. Even better is when we still have some equity when bluffing.
• Slow playing On the Flop in PLO — Slow playing isn’t always advised in PLO due to the high chance of getting out drawn. We have looked at some times when slow playing is actually a great line to take.
• Killer Cards In Omaha Poker — Introduction To The Concept Of Killer Cards In Omaha Poker.
• Short Stacking In PLO Cash Games An Introduction To Short Stack Omaha Strategy — Short Stacking Will Win You Many Pots – But Little Respect From Fellow Omaha Players. Here We Introduce The Basics Of Short-Stacked PLO Strategy.
• Short-Stacking In PLO – Part #2, – Tables, Seats and Sites! — Taking PLO Short Stacking To A More Profitable Level With Some Simple Yet Effective Table And Seat Selection Criteria.
• The PLO Bluffing Guide Part #1 – Effective Bluffs In Pot-Limit Omaha — Omaha Is A Game Of Nut Hands – Is There A Place For Bluffing?
• Jeff Hwang’s Omaha Poker Strategy — Jeff Hwang Authored One Of The Best Pot-Limit Omaha Strategy Books To Come Out In Many Years
• Blockers In PLO – How And When To Play Your Blockers In Pot Limit Omaha — Are Blockers Worth The Risk In Online PLO Games – Find Out Here!
• Double Suited Hands In PLO — How Big A Difference Does Double-Suitedness Make? Hand Matchups In PLO – Looking At How Much Difference Holding A Double Suited Hand Makes To Your Equity
• Playing A Full House In Pot Limit Omaha Poker – Beware of the ‘Underfull’ — Non-Nut Full Houses Can Be Very Profitable When The Circumstances Are Right, However, In Pot Limit Omaha Not All Full Houses Are Equal.
• Difference Between Buy-In Levels Pot-Limit Omaha — Check Our Guide To The Difference Between The Buy-in Levels From The Micros Through To The Mid-Stakes In Pot-Limit Omaha Games!
• Wraps In Pot-Limit Omaha – Part #1 — Straight Draws In Pot Limit Omaha Can Be Huge – ‘Wraps’ With 16, 17 Or Even 20 Outs Are Possible In PLO Poker.
• Uncommon Plays — We look at unusual plays in PLO that are not seen widely in NLHE. This guide will help you take your thought process wider to that of a NLHE player.

Rules of the Game

Omaha Poker Pot Limit

Pot Limit Omaha (PLO) is the second most popular poker game in the world. Ten years ago it was somewhat difficult to find a live game going outside of Europe but now many card rooms spread PLO regularly. While it will never surpass No Limit Hold’em (NLHE) in popularity it will only increase its market share as the years move forward. Everyday people are converting to PLO as their game of choice.

It’s not hard to figure out why this is the case as PLO is an action game where all players get dealt four cards and possibilities abound. One caveat, however, is that you must use at least two of your hole cards in your final hand. In other words if you have A♥ K♦ J♠ J♣ you don’t have an ace high flush when the board shows four hearts. Also you do not have a full house if the board is K♥ K♠ 5♣ 5♦ 2♥. So if you are new to the game make sure you have these fundamentals firmly in mind before heading out to the tables as the game is enough intimidating on its own for inexperienced players.

Basic Strategy

Starting hand selection is incredibly important; mediocre starting hands tend to build mediocre holdings and the second best hand can cost you a lot of money. There is no place ticket in PLO; the second best hand always loses the most money.

The premium hands have both nut potential and have all four cards working together such as A♥ K♥ Q♠ J♣, A♥ A♦ J♠ T♠, and K♦ Q♦ J♣ T♣. These hands play very well heads-up or multi-way but obviously hands like this do not grow on trees. Hands like A♥ 9♥ 8♠ 7♣, T♥ 9♥ 8♠ 6♣, and Q♦ Q♠ T♠ 9♣ are also quite good because you tend to either hit a favorable flop and when you don’t you are usually able to get out without committing too many of your troops.

This is not a split pot game so run downs with no gaps and at least one suit down to around 8♠ 7♠ 6♥ 5♣ has a lot of value in this game. It is important, however, to not overrate any rundowns lower this this because you are beginning to run into the danger of continually running into higher straights. Being suited at least once is important because when you share a nut straight with someone else it can give you the highly desired free-roll. If someone happens to hold a higher flush draw then you suits act as blocking defense.

Pot Limit Omaha is too complicated of a game to get too in depth here but here are some quick warnings that new players should heed so they can learn the game without paying too high of a tuition:

• In a multi-way pot you always want to be drawing to the nuts. For example, drawing to a jack high flush with five players in the pot is a recipe for disaster.
• Beware of medium and low pairs and the sets that they make. You will run into higher sets more often than you think and they are big time money losers. Starting hands with them should most often be folded, although there are exceptions such as A♥ A♦ 2♣ 2♠ and T♥ 9♥ 8♠ 8♣. If you happen to flop a set of deuces or eights with either of these hands you must be aware that you could be in peril. Certainly you do not have to automatically fold but recognize that your hand is not as strong as it is in NLHE.
• Straight draws even with those with many outs (i.e. wraps) are severely devalued when there are two suits on board. You can call a bet, but if you if raise that can allow a player with a set, two pair and a flush draw, or a flush draw that shares some of your straight outs to reopen the betting and your holding fares very badly against such hands.
• Do not overvalue dry aces (e.g A♥ A♠ 7♦ 3♣) and put too much money into the pot pre-flop especially when stacks are deep. If you give away the fact that you have aces you allow your opponents to more or less play perfectly against you. Of course if you have premium aces you should escalate the pot for value but make sure other hands without aces are in your range.
• Many new players are enamored with the “Bare Ace Bluff”. This is the play where you only have one ace of a suit when there are three more on board and play too aggressively every time in the hopes of getting everyone to fold because they can’t have the nuts. This play should be made on occasion but overdoing can be very costly as many players are on guard for such a play and hate to be bluffed out.
• Many beginning resources go out of their way to tell you that hands with big pairs and nothing much else such as K♥ K♠ 5♦ 4♣ are unplayable because your hand is not working together. While it is true that this holding is far from a premium holding you should definitely try and see a flop unless the pot is raised and re-raised and it costs too much as a relative portion of your stack to consider calling. Top set is a premium hand with which you typically have both the best hand and the best draw which is the best situation in poker. In raised pots you can sometimes stack an opponent who commits too much money with a lesser hand and can’t give it up.

Pot Limit Omaha Poker Strategy

Further Learning

Pot Limit Omaha Strategy

Pot Limit Poker: The Big Play Strategy by Jeff Hwang, (Rating 10/10) – This book is an excellent resource on learning how to best approach live full ring PLO games. In addition, it also has excellent beginning material on Pot Limit and Limit Omaha Eight or Better.
Advanced Pot-Limit Omaha Volume I, Volume II, and Volume III by Jeff Hwang, (Rating 7/10) – These books are also highly valuable because they have some nuggets of very good information and have an immense amount of examples yet they appear to have a few shortcomings. In many examples Jeff advocates calling re-raises too much with dominated hands especially out of position. In other situations he is also putting in too much money with very marginal hands in an attempt to isolate or is calling too wide pre-flop in an attempt to play “small ball”. Often you will end up in a three way pot with a very marginal hand and while position does help it’s often the case you are up against two better hands.
Mastering Pot-Limit Omaha: The Modern Aggressive Approach by Herbert Okolowitz and Wladmir Taschner (Rating 8/10) – If online PLO is your game then this resource is for you. Great information and advice for those that play the more aggressive and advanced online games that tend to feature six-handed play.