For most of the past two decades, Hold’em has been the most popular poker variant around the world. The poker boom put Hold’em – more specifically No Limit Hold’em – in the spotlight, and it quickly took over for past popular poker variants like Draw Poker and Stud Poker. However, many poker players have taken a liking to Omaha – and its variants like six-card Omaha – in recent years.
Omaha poker plays similarly to Hold’em in that there are hole cards for the players’ eyes only and community cards for the table to share. The betting rounds are also in the same order. But Pot Limit Omaha puts a bit of a limit on betting, and with four hole cards instead of two, players have found a new challenge for their poker minds.
Understanding Pot Limit Omaha Rules
Omaha is a variation of poker in the flop game category, sometimes even referred to as Omaha Hold’em. While Hold’em gives players two hole cards and five community cards, Omaha deals four cards to players to go with the five community cards. Further, Omaha requires that a player use two – and only two – of those hole cards with three community cards to make a playable five-card hand.
The “pot limit” in Pot Limit Omaha, or PLO for short, puts a limit on the betting. As indicated by the term, the most a player can bet or raise at one time is the size of the pot.
The card requirements and the betting limitations mean that players must use unique strategies for PLO. For example, flushes and straights are more difficult to make because the player must have two hole cards to the flush or straight. And betting into PLO pots can be costly, prompting the need to examine things like how to crush 3-bet pots in Pot Limit Omaha.
Mastering the Art of Pot Limit Omaha Betting
There are a few betting basics to master in PLO.
- As in Hold’em, betting takes place before the flop, after the flop, after the turn, and then after the river.
- Pot limit betting caps the bet at the amount of the pot. As a hand plays to the flop, turn, and river, the pots can grow quite large.
- To determine the exact size of the pot, the dealer can usually provide a total if asked. However, it behooves the players to keep a mental note as to the approximate amount of value in the pot.
Players often open with a wider range of starting hands than in Hold’em, especially with two hole cards to a flush or high straight. The best starting hand in PLO, for example, is A-A-K-K double suited. And to that end, more players will bet pre-flop in order to see the first three community cards.
It is common to see players remain in a hand to bet, call, or raise post-flop if they find a hand. And those players still in the hand after the flop can bet big to isolate and force weaker holdings out of the hand.
The best strategy for PLO betting focuses on position, ranges, draws, and blockers. The latter is important because a player is more likely to hold a blocker, a card that can block another player from making a particular hand. Knowing that you can block an opponent’s straight or flush provides more betting opportunities.
Play Online Poker at BetMGM
As with most poker variants and formats, the best place to learn and gain experience in a game is to play poker online. You can compete at the micro-stakes and small-stakes levels, putting a minimum amount of money at risk in order to play more hands. Not only can you learn a new game and its rules in this way, but you can also experiment with various strategies to see what works best against different types of opponents.
BetMGM has the Pot Limit Omaha games for all levels of players. Make sure to use the online poker welcome bonus when signing up for a new account to make the most of your first deposit and learn to crush PLO.
