PLO is one of the most played Omaha poker game types by the Omaha poker community. It is one of the most loved varieties, but it can be a bit tricky for those who come from playing Texas Hold’em games and want to master the game right off the bat.

Spoiler: that’s not going to happen. But you can train yourself, and for that we are going to give you a series of tips that will allow you to perform well in these Omaha poker games. Here we go.

PLO preflop betting: fundamental considerations

Before we get into preflop play, the real “meat” of the PLO game from a strategic point of view, let’s take a brief look at some of the fundamental aspects of PLO that you should keep in mind.

First of all: preflop betting. In Pot Limit Omaha, bets must meet a series of requirements in order not to be invalidated. The minimum bet must be equal to the bet of the big blind; the maximum bet is the one that sets the pot. Hence the term “pot limit”.

As for the raises, it should be noted that they must always be equal to the raise applied immediately before. In any case, the limit for raises is still in the pot, so this figure is taken as a reference.

It is not very convenient for bets to be placed at half-odds. The betting decision is very important in the PLO. The same applies to raises. If you raise a bet, you should raise to the limit. That gives a powerful effect to the raise; if not, it may be more worthwhile to just call.

Although in the NLH the preflop raise is a star play, in Pot Limit Omaha it is a move that is not recommended, although with nuances. It is not a good option precisely because of the strength of the hands: two normal hands have an identical or approximate strength balance.

It can be a balance of 55-45 or 60-40. Preflop raises with a raise are absurd because what we are betting is not actually representing the strength of the hand. And if the bet does not match the strength of the hand, what are we doing?

What does a preflop raise in a PLO game do? It does nothing more than:

  • Minimize the potential of your hand.
  • Prevent you from folding on the flop, which can make you lose money.
  • Forcing you to go to the flop, just to avoid folding.
  • Preventing you from pushing out an opponent, because you will never be able to fold enough to make it.

Where a preflop raise in Pot Limit Omaha can work is playing in late positions. Although it is not the optimal option, because we will expose our cards, but at least we will increase the pot from Cutoff or Button, something that is good for us.

How is the preflop game in Pot Limit Omaha?

If it is so bad to raise preflop in PLO, how to approach our first steps? The best thing to do is to go with a conventional bet and tie a double pair with premium cards. It is a strong hand and we will make our game remain in the shadows, just the coverage we need to stay in the game with minimal risk.

On the other hand, keep in mind that if the game is loose-passive, any speculative hand will have much more relevance.

With a tight-aggressive game, it is convenient to be selective with the hands and go only with hands out of position, and more so as we get closer to the final streets.

As we said a few lines above, everything will depend on how you approach the bets. If you raise little, you will give yourself away. If you bet, but not hard enough, your game will be exposed. Either go all in, or don’t go at all. As soon as you stop being consistent with your preflop bet, your facade will crumble and you will soon be caught out.

For example, if you start with a preflop raise, which pushes you to the flop, on the turn you call and, on the river, you fold… more than one will raise an eyebrow. Why would you do that? It doesn’t make sense. And it’s a lot of information given about your (poor) play for the next round, so you don’t want to bet without first basing your moves.

The key to any strategy you follow in your Pot Limit Omaha projects is knowing how to run a bet from start to finish. Managing your bankroll well is, therefore, a must if you intend to bet comfortably without feeling pressured by having to take the bet to the end with a stack that is too tight.