PLO Poker: A Complete Beginner's Guide to Pot-Limit Omaha

Pot-Limit Omaha: An Introduction

Pot-Limit Omaha or PLO is the second most common variant of online poker after Texas Holdem that is enjoyed by poker enthusiasts all over the world. This game has existed in brick and mortar card rooms and casinos for decades but increased in popularity through the exposure of online poker in India.

Pot-Limit Omaha: Variants

In its rawest forms, Omaha is a game played with four pocket cards, although versions of this game are also played with five and six cards.

There are different forms of Omaha. Variations include No-limit Omaha, also known as Hi/Lo versions and Pot-Limit Omaha. Omaha is also a mainstay in most of the mixed online poker games, and the No-limit Holdem and Omaha games have become increasingly popular over the years.

Define Pot-Limit

The term Pot-Limit restricts the size of bets placed on the size of the pot, you can't overbet the pot, or go all-in as you can in no-limit games. The Pot-limit restriction is typically added to online poker games in order to lower the variance of bankroll swings where you are more likely to flop strong hands or draws, such as in Omaha.

The Rules

The DNA of the game plays similar to No-limit hold'em, with some exceptions. In this variant of online poker the dealer hands each player four pocket cards, and you can use any two of these cards and three of the community cards to make the best five-card hand. The community cards arrive in the same way as in the no-limit Texas Holdem variant with a pre-betting round, a flop, a turn, and a river with more betting rounds available after dealing each community card.

Basic Concepts in PLO

•  The Position is Extremely Important

The position plays a significant role in online poker games, specially PLO. Omaha is a draw game that is less about strong hands and more about strong draws. It is much easier to play poker online and draw when you are in a strong position. On top of that, when you are in position, you can also represent strong hands that are in your range and make profitable bluffs. If your opponent is out of position, he/she will not be able to bluff. In the long run, this can prove to be a great advantage for you.

•  Freerolling

A freeroll is a situation wherein two players have the same hand or the same draw, but one of the players also has outs to improve his/her hand; if two players flopped the same straight draw for example, but one player also has a flush draw in addition to that. He/she can’t lose the hand but can win the entire pot if his/her flush arrives. You, therefore, don't want to be the player without the flush draw. Your expected value is negative since you can't win the pot.

Summary

There are several reasons why you should try Pot-Limit Omaha. Online poker games, especially Pot-limit Omaha can help improve your poker skills in other poker variants as well. If you go on tilt easily, you should define clear stop-loss limits and switch to low stake games. With this knowledge, you should now be able to take your first steps towards Pot-Limit Omaha, one of the most exhilarating variants of online poker.