Pot-Limit Omaha (PLO): Rules and 5 Key Differences from Hold'em

What is Pot-Limit Omaha?

Pot-Limit Omaha, or PLO, is the second most popular card game after No-Limit Texas Hold'em. The main feature of Pot Limit Omaha is the number of cards in the starting hand. 

In terms of player numbers, PLO surpasses Seven-Card Stud, Short Deck, and other types of poker. Only Texas Hold'em is more popular.

In Hold'em, players receive 2 cards on the preflop, while in Omaha they receive 4. The final combination in PLO is made from 5 cards, comprising 2 from the player's hand and 3 from the community board. For example: a player is dealt JsTs9d8d on the preflop. The dealer plays As2s6s on the flop. As a result, the player has a spade flush AsJsTs6s2s. In Omaha, you can't form the final hand in any other way. With a hand of 7s8s9sTs and a board of AdKdQdJdTd, the best combination for the player would be a straight QdJdTd9s8s. The rules don't allow for ignoring the starting hand to make a royal flush with community cards. 

Omaha poker was invented in the late 1970s in the USA. The first people to try the game were clients of the Golden Nugget casino in Las Vegas. In 1983, PLO tournaments were organised at the Stardust casino. Pot-Limit Omaha quickly gained traction — in 1983, one of the World Series of Poker bracelets was contested under PLO rules. David Sklansky won the trophy and $25,500. The WSOP 1985 schedule already included 3 Omaha events. Some experts predicted that PLO would surpass NL Hold'em in popularity. While Pot Limit Omaha didn’t lead the industry, it did surpass Seven-Card Stud and Draw Poker. 

No-Limit Texas Hold’em garners more interest than other poker variations. Its dominance is evident in the traffic on PokerOK and other industry platforms. The largest poker tournament, the WSOP Main Event, is conducted under NL Hold'em rules. However, PLO also has its records. The largest pot in online poker history was played at a CoinPoker Omaha table in 2022. The hand winner, Antanas Guoga, took home $7,750,652. Previous records also belong to PLO Poker.

What Differentiates PLO from NL Hold'em

The key difference between Omaha and Hold'em is the rules for constructing the final hand. In Omaha, a player must use two hole cards and three community cards to form the best combination. In Hold'em, a poker player can use any 5 cards from the 7 available. One can take one card from the starting hand and complement it with 4 board cards. The rules also do not prohibit forming a hand solely with community cards. PLO rules don’t allow such variability: the final hand must include 2 cards from the player’s hand and 3 from the board. 

Four cards at the start is not the limit. In some Omaha variations, players start with 7 cards

Let’s consider other differences:

• Betting Limit. This characteristic is indicated by the name of the game. In Omaha, you can’t go all-in at any time during a hand. The rules do not allow you to bet more than the pot. Let’s show this with an example. Suppose a player is the last to make a decision on the flop. On the preflop, opponents invested $100. Another $75 was bet by an opponent on the postflop. The player can raise no more than $250. The limit is determined: $100 in the pot, $75 in the flop bets, and $75 as the cost of a potential call.   

• Number of Starting Hands. In Hold'em, there are 1,326 combinations possible on the preflop. Four cards increase the number of starting hands to 270,000. A simple and understandable hand matrix cannot be created for Pot Limit Omaha. Omaha rules also affect mathematical probabilities. In Hold'em, a player hits the flop 30% of the time. In PLO, any starting combination can hit a flush draw, straight draw, or set.

• Variance. No-Limit Texas Hold'em is a more predictable game. Pocket Aces will beat 22 on the preflop 82% of the time. Such a significant advantage can't be achieved in PLO. In most hands, the chances of success are 60%. Favourites on the flop often lose pots to luckier opponents on the river. Therefore, a more conservative bankroll is recommended for playing PLO Poker.

• Training Materials. The advantage of Texas Hold'em over other types of poker is evident by the number of educational books and videos. There are significantly fewer courses and guides for Pot-Limit Omaha. PLO players also don't have a large selection of training programs. There aren't many Omaha calculators, solvers, and simulators. 

We can also attribute the number of weak players as a difference. In terms of traffic, PLO lags behind NL Hold'em, but the percentage of amateurs at Omaha tables is higher. The line-ups in five-card, six-card, and seven-card variations of Pot-Limit Omaha are particularly pleasing.

What Other Types of Omaha are Played?

The pot-limit version of Omaha is the most popular, but there are others. Among them are: 

• PLO5. The starting hand includes 5 hole cards. The other rules are the same as the regular version of Omaha. The final combination is made from two cards from the player’s hand and three from the community board. The additional card increases the dynamics of the play.

• PLO6. At the start of the hand, each player is dealt 6 hole cards. There are no other differences from classic PLO. 

• PLO7. At the start of the hand, players receive 7 hole cards. Because of deck limitations, PLO7 is only played at short tables, 6-max. Otherwise, there wouldn’t be enough cards for the players.

• PLO Hi/Lo. A player’s starting hand includes 4 hole cards. The best combination takes half the pot, and the lowest takes the other half. In the worst combination, straights or flushes are not considered. For example, in Omaha Hi-Lo 3s4s5d6d7c is not considered a straight. To form a low, cards must be no higher than eight. According to Hi/Lo rules, an ace is considered the lowest rank in the deck. If no one at the table has a low, the player with the best combination takes both halves of the pot.   

• Courchevel. At the start of the hand, opponents receive 5 hole cards. Simultaneously, one community card is placed on the board. Then follows a round of betting. If there are contenders for the pot, two more cards are placed on the board. The rest of the play proceeds according to the standard scenario.

In recent years, rooms have been actively promoting rare types of Omaha

Let’s also mention Oklahoma. Its rules are the same as PLO, with one exception: after the flop and the turn, opponents discard one card from their starting hand. 

How Does the Hand Hierarchy in Omaha Poker Look?

The hand hierarchy in No-Limit Texas Hold'em and Pot-Limit Omaha is the same. We will consider each winning PLO combination separately.

In Omaha, players hit strong combinations much more frequently than in Hold'em. Therefore, act cautiously with vulnerable made hands

High Card. If no one has even a pair, the bank goes to the player with the highest card in their five-card combination. For example, Patrick receives AcKhJs9d on a board of 5c8dThQs2d. Tom's starting hand is AsJh4c3c. Neither opponent has a made hand, but Patrick wins the hand with a king. 

Pair. Two cards of the same rank. Patrick is dealt AsKdTc5h on the preflop. The dealer lays Kh7c9d2s4h on the board. As a result, the player makes a pair of kings. In Omaha, a pair can also be made in the starting hand.

Two Pairs. Two different pairs in one hand. For example, Patrick is dealt AdQd7s2h and flops 8с8hQs. His hand is two pairs, queens and eights.

Set. A combination of three cards of the same rank. For example, a starting hand of AhTh9c4d and a board of Ts6hTd2cKs give a set of tens.

Straight. Five consecutive cards of different suits. Suppose JsTd7c2h and a board of 9c8h4dAsQc form a straight JsTd9c8h7c.

Flush. Five cards of the same suit. For example, a starting hand of AcQc7s5h and a flop of Kc9c2c create a strong flush AcKcQc9c2c.

Full House. Combo of a set and a pair. Suppose a player is dealt AsQh7c4d on the preflop. The board reveals AcQdQs2h5h. The hand and board give a full house QdQhQsAsAc.

Four of a Kind. Four cards of the same rank. For example, a starting hand of As5sKd2h and a board of 5с5dJs5h8c give four of a kind 5d5c5s5hAs.

Straight Flush. A sequence of 5 cards of the same suit. For example, a player gets JsQs7d3d on the preflop. The common board is Ts9s8d2hKs. As a result, the player makes a straight flush KsQsJsTs9s.

Royal Flush. A combination of A, K, Q, J, T of the same suit. Suppose a starting hand of AhKh2d3d and a board of QhJh5s7sTh form a hearts royal flush. 

Pot-Limit Omaha hands are formed according to the same rules as in No-Limit Hold'em. However, their value in PLO is lower. If in NL Hold’em two pairs can give good chances to win, in Pot Limit Omaha they often lose to stronger combinations.

How Is a Hand Conducted in PLO Poker?

In PLO games, up to 9 players participate. Before the hand, two players place forced bets: the big and small blind. These stimulate opponents to fight for the pot. Without blinds, players would turn poker into a routine, waiting only for top starting hands. In the next hand, other players place the forced bets. The dealer is the point of reference. Blinds move clockwise.

In PLO Poker, going all-in is harder than in NL Hold’em

On the preflop, players are dealt starting hands of 4 cards and assess their prospects. With a worthy combination, a poker player puts money into the pot. Players typically bet, but can choose a passive approach by matching the big blind. Other opponents' options include raising, calling, and folding. 

If two or more opponents continue fighting for the pot, the game proceeds to the post-flop phase. This includes 3 rounds of betting: the flop, the turn, and the river. Let’s start with the details.

• Flop. The dealer deals 3 community cards. Players evaluate the strength of their hands and choose between checking and betting. Checking allows continuing the game without adding money to the pot. If the first opponent checks and the second bets, a response can be to fold, match the bet, or raise.

• Turn. The dealer adds a fourth community card. Betting proceeds as it did on the flop.

• River. The dealer places the fifth community card. Players make their final bets and reveal their hands. This moment is called a ‘showdown’. The owner of the best hand takes the pot.

The order of play depends on positions. At a 6-max table, they look like this:

• UTG. Known as “Under the gun”. The UTG player acts first on both the preflop and postflop. Therefore, they must bet with strong hands and avoid marginal ones. Sometimes UTG is referred to as “Early Position” or EP.

• MP. Middle Position. Acts after UTG, allowing for an expanded range.

• CO. Cut-off. One of two late positions, allowing play with weaker hands due to having the