Pot Limit Omaha (PLO) is a poker variant that offers a more action-packed experience when compared with Texas Hold’em. Whether you’re playing online poker or poker in person, PLO offers players the opportunity to regularly make much higher-value hands compared to other poker variants.

Find out more about what PLO is and the mistakes you should avoid below.

What Is Pot Limit Omaha?

Pot Limit Omaha is an exciting poker variant that offers its own unique experience that makes it stand out from other poker variants like Texas Hold’em or Seven Card Stud. The Pot Limit Omaha rules are very similar to Texas Hold’em, but in this poker variant, there are three key differences. 

Firstly, a player’s hand consists of four cards. This means that it’s much easier for players to make higher-ranked hands compared to Texas Hold’em. 

Secondly, postflop, a player’s hand must use two cards from their hole cards. 

Thirdly, players can only go all in with a wager that’s equivalent to the size of the pot.

Apart from these differences, PLO plays very much like a standard game of Texas Hold’em. However, there are specific PLO mistakes that you should be aware of.

PLO Mistakes To Avoid

These are the top nine PLO mistakes that you should learn to avoid in order to improve your wins.

1. Playing Weak Starting Hands

It’s important to remember that in PLO, the ability to hit high-ranking poker hands is much higher than in Texas Hold’em because every player starts with four cards. This is why you should avoid taking chances with weak starting hands. Aim to play hands with high-value pairs, have at least two of the same suit, or a high-value rundown (four consecutive cards, or three consecutive cards with a fourth card that is one card off the rest.)

2. Playing Weak Pairs

Weak pairs are another example of a starting hand you should just avoid. Again, many players come over from Texas Hold’em and see weak or average pairs and think they could make it work by maybe hitting three or four of a kind since it’s easier to make high-value hands. However, it’s important to remember that it’s much easier for every player to hit the nuts in PLO, making weak pairs a bad option to play. 

3. Playing Weak Rundowns

Just like weak pairs, weak rundowns are another trap. Yes, you might have some luck and beat out other players occasionally, but again, the chances of other players hitting high-ranking hands are far greater in PLO than in other community-card variants like Texas Hold’em. Remember, other players are far more likely to be in the game because they believe they have the nuts, not because they are bluffing.

4. Playing Rundown Hands With Two-Card Gaps

A rundown with no or one gap is generally considered playable in PLO, depending on the value of the cards. However, a rundown with a two-card gap means you’re far less likely to hit that straight or straight flush. For this reason, you should think twice about playing any rundown hands that have a two-card gap. The risk that your two-card gap is actually a dangler is just too high.

5. Placing Too Much Emphasis on Strong Pairs

In PLO, strong pairs have a short shelf life. At best, you’re hoping for four of a kind or a full house, but once the flop hits the table, pairs rapidly start to decrease in value. And by the river, even the best of strong pairs are likely to face stiff competition from flushes and straights. 

6. Slow Playing

In Texas Hold’em, it’s common for players with a strong hand to play slow in order to maximize the pot and take home a big win. However, in PLO, slow playing simply increases your chances of losing since each community card increases your chances of facing a stronger hand from one of your opponents. Each new community card could be an out that one of your opponents is waiting for.

7. Not Identifying Danglers

A dangler is an unconnected card in your hand. For example, if you have a king, queen, jack, and a 7, the 7 is a dangler because it’s too far removed from the other cards. This makes it incredibly weak to play. Another example of that might seem like a dangler would be if the cards were a king, queen, jack, and a 9. However, this is still playable and would be considered a one-gap rundown.

8. Forgetting That You Need To Use Two Cards From Your Hand

If you play a lot of Texas Hold’em, you might want to combine the community cards in PLO with one card from your hand. However, it’s important to remember that you need to use a minimum of two cards from your hand when playing PLO. 

Integrate This Advice Into Your Pot Limit Omaha Strategy

Taking advantage of this advice and avoiding the mistakes discussed above will play an important role in enhancing your PLO strategy. Put these tips into practice at your favorite offline or online casino and see how much they raise your PLO game.

Play PLO and Other Exciting Poker Variants at BetMGM

Online poker players who are looking for a great poker site can enjoy Pot Limit Omaha and other great poker variants at BetMGM. BetMGM offers exciting cash games and daily poker tournaments in multiple variants, including PLO, Seven Card Stud, and Texas Hold’em. Whether you’re a more casual player or someone who takes poker seriously, BetMGM is the place for you to put your new Omaha poker knowledge to the test.

And when you need to switch things up, BetMGM also has exciting online casino games, including online slots, table games, virtual sports, and live dealer games. 

All of this and more is available when you register at BetMGM.