5 Card PLO Strategy

Omaha poker is a tough game to master, but that is exactly what makes it so interesting and profitable. Unfortunately, no matter how many hands you play if you are not practicing the right 5 Card PLO strategy, you are going to run yourself into the ground. When it comes to 5 Card PLO strategy, the first thing to remember is that it is not the number of hands that you play, but rather the quality of these hands.

In this game, the addition of hole cards to the traditional two changes the dynamics of the game completely. Additionally, you have to post the small and big blind before the cards are dealt. This in turn affects the 5 Card PLO strategy that you should adopt.

With this in mind, we have compiled a list of tips to help you devise a 5 Card PLO strategy and improve your Pot Limit Omaha wins.

5 Card PLO Tips

As a beginner or a relatively inexperienced player, you should stick to a basic 5 Card PLO strategy to avoid mishaps. When playing Pot Limit Omaha, there are five main things to keep in mind. If you get these basics right, then you will have a solid 5 Card PLO strategy to take down your opponents and secure your bankroll. 

1. Play per your bankroll

In Omaha, you should stick to the games with low stakes. Chasing the bigger, more thrilling games is just a one-way road to exhausting your bankroll. There are plenty of games that you can play with bare minimum buy-ins. Omaha can be quite extreme and swingy so stick to your plan and play games that are appropriate to your level.

2. Play the Odds

When devising a 5 Card PLO strategy, the odds of the pot and hands should be kept in mind just like when it comes to poker strategy of other games. If you have the odds calculated, then your game can be very profitable. You choose when to put money into the pot and when not to. Indulging in emotional play, based on your guts, is not right. Play by making your decisions based on positive expected value and avoid the ones with the negative expected value.

3. Play a tight game

Pot-limit Omaha is a game that is meant to be closed off and tight. Until you are an established Omaha player, stick to tight gameplay. Otherwise, you will likely put yourself in tight spots where you will be vulnerable to making mistakes and losing money.

4. Stay Level Headed

Avoid emotional play at all costs. Omaha can be even more temperamental than Texas Hold’em. So, it is wise to stay level headed even when you are faced with extreme variance. Giving in to emotional play will only lead you to make bad decisions. So, if you feel you are getting swayed by emotions, take a break and come back to the table later.

5. Don’t get committed to Aces

Aces can be tempting but if you can’t get committed in the pre-flop then play them slow. Hand values in Omaha tend to differ. In Omaha pairs rarely win at showdowns. Make sure you have some strong cards to go with them otherwise marking yourself with aces will only be inviting trouble.

This is a starter to formulating your 5 Card PLO strategy.

In addition to this general strategy, you should familiarise yourself with the best starting hands PLO,

Ultimately you need to experience it all for yourself to decide whether Omaha is for you or no. So head over to Spartan Poker and play real money poker games and find out for yourself.