PLO Poker: Pot Limit Omaha Rules and Strategy

Pot Limit Omaha (PLO) supercharges poker by doubling your hole cards from two to four, creating bigger pots and more thrilling moments than Texas Hold’em. At CoinPoker, we’ll show you how to master this dynamic game that’s taking over poker rooms worldwide.

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A player holds four cards in a poker game called pot-limit Omaha (or the first part of the Irish Poker game)

What is Pot Limit Omaha (PLO)?

Pot Limit Omaha poker takes everything you love about Texas Hold’em and doubles the excitement – literally. Instead of two hole cards, you get four, creating more possible combinations and bigger pots. But there’s a catch: you must use exactly two of your hole cards with three community cards to make your hand. This unique structure has made PLO the game of choice for players seeking more action and strategic depth.

The “Pot Limit” part keeps strategy at the forefront. Unlike Hold’em where you can bet all your chips anytime, PLO caps your bets at the current pot size. Most games run 6-9 players, giving you plenty of action while keeping things manageable.

Most PLO tables seat 6-9 players, giving you plenty of opportunities to get involved in the action while keeping the game manageable. You’ll also find heads-up games (just you and one opponent) in our poker lobby.

PLO vs Classic Texas Hold’em: What’s the Difference?

PLO and Texas Hold’em have some key differences:

Betting Limits: Think of Hold’em as a game with no speed limit, while PLO has a governor on the engine. You can only bet what’s in the pot, making every chip count.
Hand Strength: Four cards mean stronger hands. It’s like upgrading from a bicycle to a motorcycle – everything moves faster, and you’ll see more big hands like straights and flushes than in Hold’em.
Making Combinations: Here’s where PLO gets tricky. You must use exactly two cards from your hand and three from the board. No more, no less. It’s like having four ingredients but only being able to use two in your recipe.
Read the Board: Some boards are “wet” with lots of possible draws. Others are “dry” with fewer possibilities. On wet boards, expect plenty of action since players often have multiple draws. On dry boards, you can focus more on betting your made hands for value.

How to Play PLO Poker

Betting Round 1: Preflop

The dealer gives each player four cards face-down. The two players to the left of the dealer post the small and big blinds. Starting with the player left of the big blind, each player can fold, call the big blind, or raise up to the pot size. Since you have four cards, you'll see more players staying in the hand than in Hold'em.

Betting Round 2: Flop

Three community cards are dealt face-up in the middle of the table. The first active player left of the dealer button starts the betting. Players can check if no one bets, or make a bet up to the pot size. When someone bets, others must fold, call, or raise. Remember – you'll need to use exactly two of your four cards with these community cards.

Betting Round 3: Turn

The dealer places a fourth community card face-up on the table. Just like on the flop, betting starts with the first active player to the left of the dealer button. Players can check if no one has bet, or they can make a bet up to the size of the pot. When faced with a bet, other players must fold, call, or raise. Many players take extra time on this street to calculate pot-sized bets.

Betting Round 4: River

The dealer places the fifth and final community card face-up on the table. The last betting round follows the same pattern as before - starting left of the dealer button, players can check or bet up to the pot size, and others must fold, call, or raise. This is your final chance to act before hands are revealed, so consider your options carefully.

How to Win

Show a Stronger PLO Combination

When multiple players stay until the end of the hand, everyone shows their cards and the best five-card hand wins. Remember the golden rule: you must use exactly two cards from your hand and three from the table. With four hole cards, PLO players make bigger hands than in Hold'em – you'll see more flushes, full houses, and straight draws than ever before. This means hand reading and planning your moves becomes a key part of winning at PLO.

Bet and Force Opponents to Fold

Sometimes you can win without having the best hand by making strategic bets that convince others to fold. PLO's pot-limit structure means you need to think carefully about your bet sizes – you can't just move all-in like in Hold'em. Every bet tells a story to your opponents, so consider what they might be holding and how the board looks. The right bet at the right time can make even strong hands fold, while a poorly sized bet might win you nothing at all.

PLO Stakes

Stakes	Blinds	Default Buy-In	Rake %	Rake Cap (2-3)	Rake Cap (4+)
Low	$0.01 / $0.02	$0.50	5%	$0.10	$0.20
	$0.01 / $0.02	$1		$0.25	$0.50
	$0.05 / $0.10	$2		$0.50	$1
	$0.10 / $0.25	$5		$1	$2

Stakes	Blinds	Default Buy-In	Rake %	Rake Cap (2-3)	Rake Cap (4+)
Low	$0.01 / $0.02	$0.50	5%	$0.10	$0.20
	$0.01 / $0.02	$1		$0.25	$0.50
	$0.05 / $0.10	$2		$0.50	$1
	$0.10 / $0.25	$5		$1	$2

Stakes	Blinds	Default Buy-In	Rake %	Rake Cap (2-3)	Rake Cap (4+)
Low	$0.01 / $0.02	$0.50	5%	$0.10	$0.20
	$0.01 / $0.02	$1		$0.25	$0.50
	$0.05 / $0.10	$2		$0.50	$1
	$0.10 / $0.25	$5		$1	$2

Stakes	Blinds	Default Buy-In	Rake %	Rake Cap (2-3)	Rake Cap (4+)
Low	$0.01 / $0.02	$0.50	5%	$0.10	$0.20
	$0.01 / $0.02	$1		$0.25	$0.50
	$0.05 / $0.10	$2		$0.50	$1
	$0.10 / $0.25	$5		$1	$2

$0.01 / $0.02
Default Buy-in	$0.50
Rake	5%
Rake Cap (2-3)	$0.10
Rake Cap (4+)	$0.20

$0.01 / $0.02
Default Buy-in	$0.50
Rake	5%
Rake Cap (2-3)	$0.10
Rake Cap (4+)	$0.20

$0.01 / $0.02
Default Buy-in	$0.50
Rake	5%
Rake Cap (2-3)	$0.10
Rake Cap (4+)	$0.20

$0.01 / $0.02
Default Buy-in	$0.50
Rake	5%
Rake Cap (2-3)	$0.10
Rake Cap (4+)	$0.20

Poker Hand Rankings

Royal Flush

A Royal Flush is the highest-ranking hand in poker. It consists of the 10, Jack, Queen, King, and Ace, all in the same suit.

Straight Flush

A Straight Flush is a powerful hand made up of five consecutive cards, all from the same suit.

4 of a Kind

Also know as "Quads", Four of a Kind is a strong hand that includes four cards of the same rank, plus one additional card that doesn't match.

Full House

A Full House is a strong hand made up of a three-of-a-kind and a pair, meaning you have three cards of one rank and two cards of another.

Flush

A Flush is a hand where all five cards are from the same suit, but they don't have to be in any specific order.

Straight

A Straight is a hand with five consecutive cards, not all in the same suit.

3 of a Kind

Three of a Kind is a hand that has three cards of the same rank, along with two unrelated cards.

2 Pair

A Two Pair hand consists of two cards of one rank, and another two cards of a different rank.

1 Pair

A One Pair hand has two cards of the same rank, along with three other cards that are all different from each other and from the pair.

High Card

A High Card hand is a mix of five cards that don't form any of the other hand types.

PLO Poker Strategy: Basic Tips for Success

Here’s what to focus on when starting your PLO journey:

Play Hands That Work Together: In Hold’em, a pair of aces is gold. But PLO is different – you want cards that connect in multiple ways. Double-suited hands like A♥K♥Q♦J♦ give you lots of winning possibilities. Stay away from trap hands like four big cards that look nice but don’t help each other.
Use Your Drawing Power: With four cards, you’ll often have a made hand plus strong draws. Let’s say you flop a set – in PLO, you might also have straight and flush draws to go with it. These combo draws are powerful because they give you many ways to win the pot.
Understand Your Blockers: The cards in your hand might prevent opponents from making certain hands – this is valuable information when deciding to bet or fold.
Be Patient: PLO creates more action and bigger pots than Hold’em, but that doesn’t mean you should play every hand. Wait for good spots.

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FAQs

What does PLO mean in poker?

PLO stands for Pot Limit Omaha. You get four cards and can bet up to the size of the pot.

Is PLO harder to learn than Hold’em?

The basic rules are simple, but you’ll need time to get used to using exactly two of your four cards.

What makes a good starting hand in PLO?

Look for cards that connect and share suits, like A♥K♥Q♦J♦. Avoid disconnected, unsuited hands.

What’s the minimum stake level for PLO?

Our micro-stakes PLO tables start at just a few cents, making it affordable to learn and practice the game.

What’s the best way to start playing PLO?

Start at our lowest stake tables to learn the game mechanics. Once you’re comfortable, you can gradually move up to bigger games as your skills improve.