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This five-part series is going to highlight Pot Limit Omaha (PLO) and focus on the strategy of how to play, what’s different from Hold'em, and other things to consider when playing this variant. For further reference, you can check out our How to Play Pot-Limit Omaha page here.
Now let's get to the differences between Pot Limit Omaha (PLO) and Hold'em...
Four Cards vs. Two Cards
Most poker players understand that Omaha is played with four hole cards versus the two hole cards you receive in Hold’em, but many early players don’t understand how that impacts their decision making process; both in what hands to play, and how to play them.
But here's an interesting question - which variant have more hand possibilities on the river? The answer may be surprising...
Texas Hold'em allows you to play both, one or neither of your hole cards, so with the 5 community cards you have (7x6x5x4x3) = 2520 combinations
Pot Limit Omaha forces you to play 2 of your 4 hole cards, so with only being able to use 3 community cards, you have (5x4x3)x(4x3) = 720 combinations
This is a significant advantage if you understand how to use this factor - 4 card flushes and straights on the board are not possible; full houses are inevitable if there is three of a kind on the board, and having cards in your hand also means that your opponents can't have them.
Preflop Hand Strength
Hand strengths can vary greatly in Omaha vs. Hold'em. For example, pocket pairs in Hold’em are powerful hands, especially premium pairs like aces, kings and queens. But in PLO having pocket aces in your hand is not as powerful as suited connectors. This is because PLO is a drawing game and pocket pairs are simply not drawing hands. However, when you pair pocket aces with other face cards of the same suit in Omaha (example: AsKdQsJd), now you have a hand that can play multiple ways, because your six combinations: AKo, AQs, Ajo, KQo, KJs, QJo - all have potential to play post flop.
A hand like AdAsKdKc looks powerful – but – two pair hands are nowhere near as successful in winning pots in PLO as they are in Hold’em, and without a way to win the hand with a flush, you will be hoping to win with a full house or a straight only. This can work against a lot of players because in almost every case, four hole cards will have some potential to win a pot pre-flop, which encourages a lot of players to play pre-flop – especially if they have a premium pair in their hand.
Some examples:
Post Flop Play and Reading Your Opponents
Having patience post flop is critical in PLO because of the nature of this being a drawing game. Almost every single flop will have at least one draw in play. The key is if you are holding a drawing hand, are you willing to gamble to hit it? If you have a made hand on the flop, how do you protect it, especially if you can only bet pot?
The key is understanding what range your opponent could have. This is aided greatly by the fact that you have four cards, giving you twice the information you get in Hold’em. The challenge is going to be: if your opponent is betting / calling / raising, the range of their hand is going to be naturally wider than what it would be in hold'em because they have four cards. You see a lot more semi-bluffs and aggressive play from players hoping to build the pot and "get there" on the river and/or attempt to push a made hand off earlier.
So if you know someone who likes to play big pairs in PLO, and they are betting big on a draw-heavy board, chances are they have a set that they want to protect. Conversely if you know someone likes to gamble in general, and they are doing the same, could they have a connected hand that they are hoping to complete? Keep in mind you don’t see anywhere near as many pure stone-cold bluffs in PLO. This is because there are just too many possible hands that have equity.
In closing, Pot Limit Omaha is a fun variant of poker that can be just as, if not more exciting to watch as the pots are bigger, the hands at showdown are bigger, and the action is intense!
Join the discussion:
Share your thoughts with us here and in each of the threads in this series. Let us know:
Now let's get to the differences between Pot Limit Omaha (PLO) and Hold'em...
Four Cards vs. Two Cards
Most poker players understand that Omaha is played with four hole cards versus the two hole cards you receive in Hold’em, but many early players don’t understand how that impacts their decision making process; both in what hands to play, and how to play them.
But here's an interesting question - which variant have more hand possibilities on the river? The answer may be surprising...
Texas Hold'em allows you to play both, one or neither of your hole cards, so with the 5 community cards you have (7x6x5x4x3) = 2520 combinations
Pot Limit Omaha forces you to play 2 of your 4 hole cards, so with only being able to use 3 community cards, you have (5x4x3)x(4x3) = 720 combinations
This is a significant advantage if you understand how to use this factor - 4 card flushes and straights on the board are not possible; full houses are inevitable if there is three of a kind on the board, and having cards in your hand also means that your opponents can't have them.
Preflop Hand Strength
Hand strengths can vary greatly in Omaha vs. Hold'em. For example, pocket pairs in Hold’em are powerful hands, especially premium pairs like aces, kings and queens. But in PLO having pocket aces in your hand is not as powerful as suited connectors. This is because PLO is a drawing game and pocket pairs are simply not drawing hands. However, when you pair pocket aces with other face cards of the same suit in Omaha (example: AsKdQsJd), now you have a hand that can play multiple ways, because your six combinations: AKo, AQs, Ajo, KQo, KJs, QJo - all have potential to play post flop.
A hand like AdAsKdKc looks powerful – but – two pair hands are nowhere near as successful in winning pots in PLO as they are in Hold’em, and without a way to win the hand with a flush, you will be hoping to win with a full house or a straight only. This can work against a lot of players because in almost every case, four hole cards will have some potential to win a pot pre-flop, which encourages a lot of players to play pre-flop – especially if they have a premium pair in their hand.
Some examples:
- You get dealt AA82 total rainbow pre-flop. Against a double suited, totally connected hand like 89TJ, it’s a coin flip, 51% to 49%.
- You get dealt AA82 total rainbow pre-flop and two hands call – 89TJ double suited, and AQKK double suited. Who is the favorite? 89TJ is – 40% to 32% for the AQKK and only 28% for your AA82.
Post Flop Play and Reading Your Opponents
Having patience post flop is critical in PLO because of the nature of this being a drawing game. Almost every single flop will have at least one draw in play. The key is if you are holding a drawing hand, are you willing to gamble to hit it? If you have a made hand on the flop, how do you protect it, especially if you can only bet pot?
The key is understanding what range your opponent could have. This is aided greatly by the fact that you have four cards, giving you twice the information you get in Hold’em. The challenge is going to be: if your opponent is betting / calling / raising, the range of their hand is going to be naturally wider than what it would be in hold'em because they have four cards. You see a lot more semi-bluffs and aggressive play from players hoping to build the pot and "get there" on the river and/or attempt to push a made hand off earlier.
So if you know someone who likes to play big pairs in PLO, and they are betting big on a draw-heavy board, chances are they have a set that they want to protect. Conversely if you know someone likes to gamble in general, and they are doing the same, could they have a connected hand that they are hoping to complete? Keep in mind you don’t see anywhere near as many pure stone-cold bluffs in PLO. This is because there are just too many possible hands that have equity.
In closing, Pot Limit Omaha is a fun variant of poker that can be just as, if not more exciting to watch as the pots are bigger, the hands at showdown are bigger, and the action is intense!
Join the discussion:
Share your thoughts with us here and in each of the threads in this series. Let us know:
- Are you an Omaha player?
- Why do you play PLO over Hold’em?
- What strategies do you have for playing that could help others learn this popular variant of poker?
