How to Play Pot Limit Omaha (PLO)?

Card games are an interesting pastime. So many people love to play card games such as poker. We are fortunate to be living in an era where we have access to the largest gaming platforms that offer varied game options to keep us engaged. We can play card games online too and stay connected to our passion for playing and winning several games.

There are numerous variants of the poker game, such as Texas Hold’em, rummy, Omaha, etc. Pot-limit Omaha is one of the finest games of poker. It is a thrilling game to play yet has easy game rules. The game has been a popular choice in card rooms and casinos for decades, but it rose in popularity with the most exposure and high stakes in the mid-2000s. 

Here, we will acquaint you with everything you need to know about one of the most exciting versions of poker – Pot-Limit Omaha. 

What is Pot Limit Omaha?

Unlike Texas hold’em, which mostly is a no-limit game, Omaha’s most popular game structure is pot-limit. As the name says, Pot-limit Omaha is the pot-limit version of the game Omaha. So, the games that are played with the fixed limit are called pot-limit Omaha. The same is also known as PLO Poker.

In this game, the value of the pot is pre-decided in advance. With this predetermined pot value, the player cannot go all-in with the chips. This is so because the player cannot bet more than the amount decided previously in the game. 

Unlike Texas Hold’em poker, in PLO poker the players are dealt with four-hole cards instead of two. The players cannot use all four hole cards to make a hand as they can use only two of them. In the case of a 5 card poker hand, the players need to use two of their hole cards and three of the community cards to make a five-card poker hand.

Types of Pot-Limit Omaha

There are two types of Pot-Limit Omaha. One of them is the 4 Card Pot Limit Omaha or 4 cards PLO. And the other one is the 5 Card Pot Limit Omaha or 5 cards PLO. The difference between these two is that in a 4 Card PLO, the player gets four hole cards in the first betting round, and in the latter, the player gets five hole cards to play the game rather than four. 

How to Play PLO 4 and PLO 5?

The ways to play a four-card PLO and 5 cards PLO are almost the same. Let us know about them one by one. 

How to Play PLO 4?

Four Card Pot Limit Omaha, popularly abbreviated as 4 Card PLO, is played just like Texas Hold’em poker. They both have the same gaming styles, with a few minor changes.  

• In this game of Pot Limit Omaha, every player gets private cards or hole cards. In this version of the limit game, the number of hole cards that the players get is four. The number of community cards is a total of five.
• The game needs a minimum of two players and a maximum of ten at a table. 
• The players at the table need to make their best five-card hand using only two of their hole cards and three of the community cards from the table. 
• The game stages of PLO poker are like Texas Hold’em only. Once the players get four-hole cards, the betting rounds begin. 
• In the first Pre-flop round, the players get their starting hands. In 4 card PLO, remember that you can use only two cards in your final five-card hand. If you hold three queens and one nine, you still do not hold a three of a kind as you can use only two of those queen cards.
• The Pot limit Omaha betting action continues in a clockwise direction. 
• Three of the five community cards are dealt on the table in the Flop or the second betting round. These cards remain common to all the players at the table. Make your decisions as the community cards are now presented. 
• The betting starts with the player seated to the left of the dealer. This player posts the big blind. But if the player who posted the big blind has folded, then the player seated to the left of the player starts. 
• The options available to all the players are fold, call, raise and bet.
• In turn round, the third betting round in PLO, the fourth and second last community card is dealt with the players. Again, the players can start calling, raising, and folding in the clockwise direction. 
• In the final and the last round of the River, the players make an effort to make the strongest hand. 
• In the Showdown, the final part of the game, the bets are complete, and the players at the table reveal their cards. 
• The one having the best five-card hand is the winner. 
• The winner takes the pot, and the game is over.

How to Play PLO 5?

If you are thinking, how do you play pot limit Omaha 5, also called a 5 Card PLO, you need to know that it has the same gaming style just like a 4 card PLO. Here are the details: 

• In this game of Pot Limit Omaha, every player gets five private cards or hole cards. The number of community cards is a total of five.
• The game needs a minimum of two players and a maximum of ten at a table. 
• The players at the table need to make their best five-card hand using only two of their hole cards and not five, along with three of the community cards from the table. 
• Once the players get five-hole cards, the betting rounds begin. 
• In the first Pre-flop round, the players get their starting hands. 
• The betting action continues in a clockwise direction. 
• In the Flop round or the second betting round, three community cards are dealt on the table that remain common to all the players.
• The betting starts with the player seated to the left of the dealer. This player posts the big blind. 
• In turn round, which is the third betting round in PLO, the fourth and second last community card is dealt with the players. 
• In the final and the last round of River, the player’s effort to make the strongest five-card hand. 
• In the Showdown, the players at the table reveal their cards. 
• The one having the best five-card hand is the winner. 

PLO Game Rules

The main game rules of Pot Limit Omaha is that the bet value cannot exceed the pot limit. So, the players can bet up to the size of the pot.

As per the minimum raise rule, the raise amount needs to be at least the same as the previous bet or raise in the same round. Or the minimum bet allowed in this game is equal to the big blind. 

The maximum raise rule considers the size of the pot or the active pot, plus the bets on the table and the amount the player needs to call before raising.

Pot Limit Hands in the game

The poker hands you can make in this game are like Texas Hold’em poker game hands. The list includes:

1. Royal Flush: It has all the high cards such as Ace, King, Queen, Jack, and 10 from the same suit.
2. Straight Flush: This hand includes a continuous poker hand sequence.
3. Four of a Kind: On this hand, you have four cards of the same rank, and the other card is of a different rank.
4. Full House: This is a hand with three cards of one rank and a pair of another rank.
5. Flush: Having five cards of the same suit.
6. Straight: If you make consecutive cards of different suits, the hand is called a straight poker hand.
7. Three of a Kind: The hand having three cards of the same rank is three of a kind.
8. Two-pair: Two cards of the same rank.
9. One Pair: It has two cards of the same rank and three other cards.
10. High-card: Ace as the highest hand and seven as the lowest hand.

Play PLO Online

You can play PLO online by learning all the game rules of this type of variation. The basic game rule is to create the best five-card poker hand using two of the five-hole cards and three community cards. To play PLO online, you need to learn poker hands, betting rounds, poker actions, etc.  

By playing more games, you will get to know the game’s dynamics. Pot limit Omaha poker – the big play strategy will come will practice, which will increase the possibility of you winning the game.

Also Read: Pot Limit Omaha Strategy & Tips

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