PLO (Pot-Limit Omaha)

For most players, Texas Hold'em is the gateway brick into the vast world of poker. Today, one of the most popular poker games is Omaha — especially Pot Limit Omaha, commonly abbreviated as PLO.

When you receive your first hole cards, you'll immediately notice the biggest difference between Texas Hold'em and Pot Limit Omaha. You have four hole cards instead of two. Another fundamental difference between the two games is that you must use both hole cards — along with three community cards to form your hand.

The hand rankings are as shown in our Texas Hold'em gameplay introduction — a royal flush is the highest hand — and the betting rounds in Texas Hold'em and PLO are exactly the same as shown in our introduction.

Although starting hand values are similar, the various possible four-card combinations have a significant impact on them. Since you receive four hole cards, PLO offers many opportunities for decision-making, potentially forming stronger hands sufficient to win most pots.

Pot Limit Betting Rules

The betting rounds are the same. First is the pre-flop betting round, followed by additional rounds for the flop, turn, and river, but in PLO games, players can bet the total value of the pot at any time during their turn in any round. In a hand of Pot Limit Omaha, you can bet the pot early with few chips, but when the pot is decided, the bets become expensive.

PLO Requires Bigger Hands Than Texas

In the pre-flop phase at the beginning of a hand, PLO starting hand strengths are actually closer, making the types of starting hands that most players bet the pot with much more numerous than in Texas Hold'em. However, don't think that any four cards can win; after receiving your starting hand, you still need to carefully decide whether to continue playing.

Compared to Texas Hold'em, PLO is seen as more dependent on drawing hands, but if you don't have a good hand on the flop, you need to fold. You also need to understand that because each player has four hole cards, there are more possible hand combinations, and you'll only want to call on the river when you have the potential to form a very strong hand.
Beginner's Guide to Texas Hold'em and PLO Strategy Differences

PLO is often the first other poker game that beginners choose to play after Texas Hold'em, so it's crucial to understand some other differences between these two games. These differences might catch you off guard when you first play PLO. Texas Hold'em players tend to overestimate pairs and two pairs in PLO (especially when their hole cards are a pair), as well as weaker straights and flush draws.

If you decide to commit heavily after a draw, most of the time you'll want to be drawing to the nuts — because of the number of cards in the game, there are too many possibilities for other hands, which can cost you dearly given the pot limit structure. This is another reason why you need to carefully consider the strength of your starting hand after receiving it to decide whether to continue playing.

When learning how to play PLO, you'll always make mistakes early on, and you must pay for those initial "lessons." Later, as you find your feel for the game, you'll start playing more types of starting hands.

Examples of Good and Bad Pot Limit Omaha Starting Hands

So, which starting hands are worth playing in Pot Limit Omaha?

Two-suited hands are the best hands to play pre-flop. Ideally, you would have , but even hands like have potential.

Like Texas Hold'em, starting hands that are suited and/or connected have more value to play. Obviously, if the hole cards are two pairs, such as , they are also strong.

On the other hand, you'll want to avoid playing starting hands with dangling cards.

A dangling card is one that isn't connected to any other card in your starting hand. If you choose to enter the pot with , you basically only have three usable cards, putting you at a significant disadvantage compared to opponents using all four cards.

Playing Online PLO Pot Limit Omaha

PLO stands for Pot Limit Omaha, a popular poker game. In Pot Limit Omaha, players receive four hole cards instead of the two in Texas Hold'em. However, players must use both hole cards, combined with three community cards to form the strongest five-card poker hand.
Play online PLO (Pot Limit Omaha) and other poker games with real money at QQPK. Learn about PLO rules and hand rankings, with multiple poker tournaments available for play.

The Pot Limit Omaha guide on QQPK provides players with an in-depth understanding of one of the most dynamic poker games. In this poker game with top poker promotions and exclusive offers, all players must develop master-level complex strategies.

PLO Rules and Hand Rankings

Learn how to play Omaha poker (PLO). Use this beginner's guide to understand PLO rules, PLO basic strategies, and the best Omaha poker games.