Omaha (PLO): what’s different from Hold'em
3 min read · Updated 2026-09-26
Pot-Limit Omaha — PLO — is the second most popular game in home games. The blinds, the button, the four betting rounds and the hand rankings are all the same as Hold'em. Three things change.
1. You get four hole cards
Everyone is dealt four cards face down instead of two. More cards means more possible hands, so strong hands are much more common. A pair that would be good in Hold'em is often nowhere near the best hand in Omaha.
A strong starting hand:
A♠ A♥ K♠ Q♥Two aces, both suited to another card, plus high cards that connect.
2. Exactly two from your hand, exactly three from the board
This is the rule that catches everyone. Your five-card hand must use exactly two of your hole cards and exactly three board cards. Not one, not three, not four.
No flush:
A♥ K♥ 7♥ 2♥· Board:Q♥ 9♣ 5♦ J♠ 3♠Four hearts in your hand, but only one on the board. You can use only two hearts from your hand, so you have no flush — just ace high.
Still no flush:
A♠ Q♦ J♣ 8♥· Board:K♠ 9♠ 6♠ 2♠ 4♦Four spades on the board, but you hold only one. You need two spades in your hand.
Full house:
K♣ K♦ 7♠ 4♥· Board:8♣ 8♦ 8♥ Q♠ 3♠Your two kings plus the three eights: eights full of kings. With only one king you’d have just three eights — you always need two of your own cards to play.
Tip — How to read your hand: Pick every pair of cards from your hand (there are six pairs) and try each one with the board. The best of those is your hand.
3. Bets are capped at the size of the pot
PLO is almost always played pot-limit. You can bet anything from the big blind up to the pot. To raise, the most you can raise to is: call first, then add the size of the pot after your call.
| Step | Example |
|---|---|
| Pot before the bet | 100 |
| Opponent bets | 50 (pot is now 150) |
| Your call would make the pot | 150 + 50 = 200 |
| Your maximum raise is to | 50 + 200 = 250 |
Tip — Shortcut: Maximum raise to = 3 × the last bet + everything in the pot before it. Here: 3 × 50 + 100 = 250. Preflop with blinds 1/2, a pot-sized opening raise is to 7.
What changes in play
- Winning hands are bigger. Two pair and sets often lose; straights, flushes and full houses win.
- Aim for the nuts. A flush that isn’t the ace-high flush is in danger.
- Draws are strong. A hand with many outs can be the favourite even against a made hand, so equities run closer than in Hold'em.
- Watch the pairs on the board. When the board pairs, a full house becomes possible.
Note — Five-card PLO: Some groups play with five hole cards. The rule doesn’t change: exactly two from your hand, three from the board.