Are you a No Limit Texas Hold 'Em (NLH) player looking to get into Pot Limit Omaha (PLO)? If the answer is "yes" then you have come to the right place. Before you hit the tables, it would be great to learn some of the differences between these two popular games. They may seem similar at first glance, but there are actually several distinctions that can significantly impact game play.
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Unlike NLH, in which you are dealt two hole cards, PLO generously hands you four. In NLH you have the option to use both, one or none of your hole cards in combination with the community cards to create your best five-card hand. Meanwhile, in PLO you must use exactly two of your four hole cards in conjunction with exactly three community cards to make your five-card hand.
A common mistake new PLO players make as they are transitioning from NLH is forgetting that they must use exactly two of their hole cards. For example, in NLH you can make a flush with four cards of the same suit from the board and only one from your hand. But in PLO you cannot do this. You cannot make a flush in PLO without at least two cards of the same suit from your hole cards.
Another big difference between having four hole cards vs two is that there are some possible draws after the flop that don't exist in NLH. For example, you can have a set plus a flush draw, a straight draw with up to 20 outs (vs a maximum of eight outs in NLH) and a double flush draw in PLO.
This difference in hand composition creates a wider range of possible hands in PLO, leading to a more dynamic and exciting game.
Having four hole cards vs two results in two important dynamics with regards to hand strength when comparing PLO to NLH.
The first is that preflop advantages are much smaller in PLO than in NLH. Pocket aces are an 85% favorite vs a random hand in NLH. While you can still get dealt two aces preflop in PLO, the presence of the other two cards reduces your edge to only 65% vs a random four card hand.
The second difference is that the average winning hand at showdown will be much stronger in PLO than in NLH. While a one-pair hand often wins in NLH, it is rare to win with less than two pair in PLO and big pots are generally won with at least a straight.
Another major difference between PLO and NLH is illustrated simply by the names of the games: "No Limit" and "Pot Limit" refers to how much you can bet or raise at any point in a hand.
In NLH, you can bet or raise your entire chip stack at any time, most commonly accomplished by announcing "I'm all in!".
However, in PLO, the most you can bet or raise is the size of the pot. The dealer (or the software) is responsible for keeping track of the size of the pot so if you want to bet the maximum at any point just say "pot" (or hit the "pot" button) and you will be informed how much the bet it. If a pot-sized bet is less than your remaining chip stack, you will be "all-in" for less than the pot.
A pot-sized raise is often more than new PLO players realize because calling the previous bet is including in the pot before the raise. For example, if there is 100 in the pot on the flop and player A bets the pot, a pot-sized raise from player B will be 400, not 200 or 300 as is often assumed. The formula for the pot in this situation is 100 (existing pot) + 100 (player A's bet) + 100 (player B's call of player A's bet). That's 300. This is amount you must raise, but the 100 call is also included in the total raise so a full pot-sized raise is 400, not 300.
A quick way to calculate a pot-sized bet or raise is to multiply the closest bet or raise by three, then add any remaining bets, including the amount in the middle from any previous streets. For our example above, this would be 100 x 3 plus the 100 already in the pot for a total of 400.
Bluffing is a major component of any poker game but there are some key differences in bluffing between PLO and NLH.
The biggest difference in bluffing dynamics is that there are usually more players seeing the flop in PLO compared to NLH. This makes it more difficult to pure bluff because it's likely that at least one player seeing the flop has a hand to call at least one bet with. So it is rarer for players to make some of the random spazzy bets you may see in NLH. Most bluffs are semi-bluffs (drawing hands with little showdown value) with at least some chance to make a decent hand by the turn or river.
The fact that players are usually bluffing less in PLO means you have to be more cautious about calling bets with marginal hands, especially marginal hands that can't improve (such as one pair with no draw).
One key exception to PLO bluffing is when there is a flush possible on an unpaired board. Players LOVE to run the "dry ace" bluff (representing that they have the nut flush when they only have the Ace). This bluff is so popular because it's very easy to identify - the player knows no one else can have the nuts! Since it's difficult for players to find other bluffing situations, the dry ace bluff is often overused. So if you are facing action on the river and you have a non-nut flush, you may consider trying to catch a bluff.
In all forms of poker, pot odds refers to how many chips you can win in a hand by the turn or river compared to the bet you need to call to see future cards. Your equity in a hand is your chance of winning by the river if you hit your draw or your opponent misses their draw. You may not always be able to calculate your exact equity but you should be able to at least estimate it. Your pot odds should be compared to your equity or perceived equity in deciding whether you should call, fold to or raise a bet.
Your pot odds are generally higher in PLO after the flop then in NLH due to the possibility of stronger draws. It can even be correct to call a bet with a weak hand on the flop if there are many turn cards that bring a very strong draw for the river. The fact that players can only bet the size of the pot and not more also generally increases your pot odds - that is, it is harder to "price someone out" of a draw by going all-in for more than the pot, as is possible in NLH.
If you want to get serious about PLO, you should familiarize yourself with the equities of the most common drawing situations that aren't possible in NLH. The most common of these are called "wraps". Wraps are defined as a straight draw with more than 8 outs. You should also be able to quickly calculate your pot odds and compare them to your equity. Once you master these skills, you should be on your way to becoming not just a good PLO player, but a good poker player in general.
Having position (being last or later to act) is important in all forms of poker, but it is especially important in PLO. There are two main reasons for this. One is that late position gives you more information about the strength of other players' hands since they must either check, bet or raise before you. The other is that late position best allows you to control the size of the pot since you have the last option to decide whether to bet or see the turn or river for free.
Additional information and pot control are more important in PLO than in NLH because it is more difficult to make a hand that is a big favorite if the money goes in before the river, especially on the flop. So there is a lot of a value in knowing the relative strength of your hand. You may have to check a medium strength hand if you are first to act but be able to bet with the same hand if you are last to act and several players have checked to you. Having the last option to check or bet allows you to get to showdown more cheaply with weaker hands and also allows you put pressure on opponents who have checked to you - either as a value bet or a bluff!
So now that you know about the value of position in PLO, how should you use it to adjust your game? The short answer is that you play extra tight in early position and loosen up a lot in later position, especially on the button! This is a great way for beginners to play and helps you avoid difficult situations.
Every NLH players knows what a premium hand is - Aces, Kings, Ace-King and (sometimes) suited connectors. But what is a good starting hand in PLO? The short answer is a hand in which all four cards can work together in making complete hands. Yes, pocket aces are still a good hand but AAJT with two suits to the ace (known as "double suited) is a MUCH better hand than AA72 with no suits.
Starting hand selection in PLO is a complicated topic and one that requires hours of study. But the best summary is this: You want to play hands that can flop very strong hands and/or draws in multiple ways and generally avoid hands that can't.