4 Card Omaha - Your Complete 2021 Guide to Winning in Plo4 Poker Game!
To stay a little longer and win, wear a jacket with foolproof action plan bullets and get ready to bombard.
This is what players do when they head towards their play area or station. It is a prep method that makes them get, set, and ready to take the right action and defend themselves from the reaction of their opponents in the game. A well-planned and tactical winning strategy makes them closer to rejoicing victory. So, if you are going to grab a seat at a poker table, your poker-winning strategy should be ready.
Don’t know how to make that foolproof poker strategy for four cards Pot Limit Omaha?
Here is a road map to winning online PLO 4 with complete knowledge of how to play Pot Limit Omaha poker online.
Before discussing the success mantra of the game, let’s first understand the game format, rules of the game, different actions that you can take, and how this poker variant is different from Texas Holdem. So, here we go…..
POT-LIMIT OMAHA POKER
Poker is a fun game with so many varieties available to play online as well as to play live poker in casinos. After Texas Holdem, Omaha poker has gained so much fame and love from players across the globe.
Omaha poker again has its own different forms and formats like:
- Pot-Limit Omaha
- Fixed Limit Omaha
- No Limit Omaha
- Pot Limit Omaha Hi Lo
As the name suggests Pot Limit Omaha poker is a game that sets a limit on the size of the pot by limiting the bet amount which should not exceed the size of the pot. So, it’s a game where you can’t go all in like Texas Holdem.
The main objective behind Pot Limit Omaha poker is to protect the players by structuring the game and providing a player-friendly atmosphere.
So, if you are opting to play Omaha poker, you are not going to get disappointed, and rather you will enjoy bankroll safety.
Come on! Let’s extend a hand of friendship with its most amazing type of format that is PLO 4 poker.
FOUR CARDS POT-LIMIT OMAHA OR PLO 4
Four Cards Pot Limit Omaha poker, popularly known as PLO 4 is a form of Omaha poker that is nearly similar to the most popular Texas Holdem poker. However, there is a slight difference between them that sets both games apart.
In PLO 4 poker, a player is dealt with four community cards from which only two of them along with three community cards out of five can be used to make the best possible hand of five cards. Whereas in Texas Holdem, a player is dealt only two hole cards and five community cards to make the best poker hand.
So, in PLO 4 a total of nine cards are dealt and in Texas Holdem, a total of seven cards are dealt to the players on the table. But in both cases, a player has to use only two hole cards and five community cards to make the best hand. This difference makes both the games unique and different in their own way.
To play Pot Limit Omaha Poker, a maximum of ten and a minimum of two players are required.
As it is a form of limit Omaha, therefore, the players have to bet an amount not exceeding the size of the pot which means that the size of the betting will depend on the pot size.
As it is a form of limit Omaha, therefore, the players have to bet an amount not exceeding the size of the pot which means that the size of the betting will depend on the pot size.
OMAHA HAND RANKINGS
To avoid any confusion in the hand rankings, the poker rules for the hand rankings for Omaha poker and Texas Holdem poker are the same. It means just like Texas Holdem, PLO 4 or any other Omaha poker game will have the same hand ranking rules.
To know the Pot Limit Omaha best hand rankings, run your eyes through the list given below which is arranged in the order of their value in the game, and learn them thoroughly to keep all confusions and doubts at bay.
Royal Flush
Straight Flush
Four of a Kind
Full House
Straight
Three of a Kind
Two Pairs
One Pair
High Card
To know more about each poker hand in detail, visit the Acehigh Hand Rankings page
POT-LIMIT OMAHA- BEST STARTING HANDS
Half of your win is decided when you are dealt with a strong starting hand in poker. It is not less than being lucky. The best starting hand in PLO 4 that makes you lucky to go are high card pairs and some connectors that have a chance to improve post-flop.
For example:
Pair of Aces, Kings, Queens, Jacks with high card connectors like 10, 9. For better clarity, read the PLO starting hand rankings chart given below.
1. A-A-K-K 11. K-Q-J-T 21. Q-Q-A-K
2. A-A-J-T 12. K-K-T-T 22. Q-Q-A-J
3. A-A-Q-Q 13. K-K-A-Q 23. Q-Q-A-T
4. A-A-J-J 14. K-K-A-J 24. Q-Q-K-J
5. A-A-T-T 15. K-K-A-T 25. Q-Q-K-T
*Double-suited hands have the chance to draw to different flushes on the flop. So, double-suited pairs are the best starting hands in Pot Limit Omaha poker.*
POT-LIMIT OMAHA RULES
To play any game, you first need to work hard on understanding the rules of the game. Trying your hand without proper knowledge of the game may cost you through your nose. So, to save your money, Acehigh Poker have designed a mini poker guide that will help you be cognizant of how to play PLO 4 online.
First of all, in the rules for Pot Limit Omaha poker, you will get to know about how Pot Limit Omaha is different from Texas Holdem which is generally considered to be an identical twin of PLO. However, those who think these two are identical, are making a terrible blunder as these two have some differences that one should be fully aware of if planning to go to the felts.
POT LIMIT OMAHA V/S TEXAS HOLDEM
The major difference between PLO and Texas Holdem that must never go out of your head should be that:
- In Texas Holdem, a player is dealt two hole cards, whereas, in PLO, a player is dealt with four hole cards. The number of community cards or the cards on the board is the same for both and that is five.
- In Texas Holdem, a player has to use both the hole cards and three of the community cards to make the best possible hand, whereas, in PLO or PLO 4 a player can only use two of the four hole cards along with three of the five community cards to make the best possible combination or hand.
- In No-Limit Holdem, a player has the power to bet all the chips up to the stack size in one go, whereas, in PLO 4, players can only bet up to the total size of the pot including their calls.
- Poker equity on pre-flop is different for both Texas Holdem and PLO because of the difference in the number of cards being dealt pre-flop.
- Another difference between the two is that the hand strength is evaluated differently for both the games as one can win with just a double-suited pair at the Showdown in Texas Holdem, whereas, you need to have a strong hand at showdown in Omaha poker to get the pot money.
- Pot Limit Omaha Poker is more challenging than Texas Holdem poker as it becomes more difficult for a player to choose the starting hands from four private cards and make the best hand using them. So, taking the decision to play the starting hands is more challenging in Omaha poker than Texas Holdem.
POT-LIMIT OMAHA POKER BETTING ROUNDS AND POKER ACTIONS
Just like Texas Holdem, the betting rounds for Four Cards Pot Limit Omaha poker are the same. Let’s quickly brush up on your betting rounds knowledge.
There are mainly four betting rounds in Omaha poker. They are briefly explained below.
1. Pre-Flop Round
This is the first betting round in Omaha poker where the players sitting next to the left-hand side of the dealer or dealer button, the blinds (small and big) place the compulsory bet. The amount of the bets are structured as per the format of the game. After the bets are placed by the blinds, all the other players sitting in the clockwise direction to the blinds take any one of the following poker actions one by one:
- Call- This action entitles a player to match the previously placed bet amount.
- Raise- According to the raise action, a player bets an amount more than the previous bet.
- Fold- To fold means you do not wish to play any further hand in the game and simply quit it.
- Check- To check means you simply pass the chance to act as you do not find your hand to be suitable enough to play that particular hand.
- To know each poker action in detail, visit the Acehigh actions in poker page.
In the pre-flop round, the players are dealt four hole cards to each player. Each player takes suitable action and when the highest total bet amount is matched by all the players or everyone has checked to the blind the round ends and the game moves ahead.
2. Flop Round
This is the second betting round of the game where three of the five community cards are dealt to the players face up on the table or board. In this round, the players remaining in the game take suitable actions and make use of the community cards to improve their hands. Like the pre-flop round, this round also ends when the highest total bet amount is matched by all the players or everyone has checked to the blind and the game moves ahead.
3. Turn Round
This is the third betting round in a poker game. On this round, one more face-up community card is dealt on the table or the board. The players still in the hand take the suitable action and this round also ends when the highest total bet amount is matched by all the players or everyone has checked to the blind.
4. River Round
This is the last betting round in Omaha poker. In this round, the last community card is dealt face-up and the players remaining in the hand decide to take the right action as per their understanding and choice.
5. Showdown
This is the final stage of the game where the players still in the game reveal their cards on the table. The one who has placed the highest bet in the previous hand is supposed to show his cards in the first place followed by other players in the same order. The player having the best hand wins the game and gets all the pot money.
WINNING STRATEGIES FOR PLO 4
Play some more, gay some more, and win the most! This is the funda of poker.
If you have reached till here then you will go a long way in poker. For that, you just need the right guidance and some key strategies that can help you trek the poker mountain easily.
Here are some of the key tips and strategies to win PLO 4. They will benefit the beginners as well as the players who want to enhance their game and learn how to play Four Card Pot Limit Omaha poker.
1. Patience is the Key to the Pot
While playing PLO, a player gets excited about having a good choice from the range of starting hands but this can prove to be their biggest mistake as not all the four cards can be played or put to use to make the final hand. So, decide wisely which starting hands to play that have the chances to improve on the other rounds and can help you get closer to winning. Again a gentle reminder that in PLO 4, only two of the four hole cards are used to make the best combination.
2. Learn to Differentiate between Texas Holdem and Pot-Limit Omaha
This is also a common mistake that players have to pay for. The players who are fond of playing Texas Holdem and have a good hand in that, think that they can prove themselves in Omaha poker online games by adopting the same strategy and playing style. However, they should understand the difference between the two and form a different strategy for Omaha poker. Do not over-value two pairs, one pair, or open-ended straight draws.
3. More Bluffing is not Omaha Style
For Texas Holdem, bluffing is the essence of the game and helps weak hands players to get the pot. However, the scenario for Pot Limit Omaha online game is totally different. It may be tempting to go for bluffing, but bluffing too much with a wide range of hands and hand outs may not prove to be a good decision. So, you have to be judicious about when to bluff in the game. However, semi-bluffs can work in Omaha games with calculative risks.
4. Make the most of Your Position
Position in poker plays an important role in getting a charge over the game. Be it Texas Holdem poker or Pot Limit Omaha poker, playing more hands from the position is the key strategy that lets you beat your opponents. Due to the pot-limit betting structure and the possible combinations a player can make in Omaha poker, it makes the position a key element in the game.
The winning strategy for PLO 4 also incorporates the use of position to control the pot size as you can raise or limit the size of the pot based on the strength of your hand as per your goal in the pot.
5. Be Selective about the Starting Hands
Most of the poker players have no idea which starting hands to play when playing Pot Limit Omaha poker. They do not understand that not all hands are as good as playing the pre-flop which is the most crucial stage to lay the foundation of your further game. You should know where your hands rank and how to play them. Since Pot Limit Omaha is a game that limits the players to bet an amount not exceeding the pot size, so you have a few chances to go all-in at the pre-flop round and have to play more hands post-flop. In PLO4, you have four hole cards to choose your starting hands but you can use only two of them to play your initial hand after the blinds.
Look at the example:
If you hold A, K, Q, J pre-flop that doesn’t mean you are going to draw a Royal flush but instead you have to choose two of them to play further hands in the game and wait for the board cards to make your best hand.
A-A-K-K is the best starting hand in the online Pot-Limit Omaha four-card game.
6. Don’t Overvalue Aces
Aces are indeed the best choice of hand when you start playing PLO4. But there are a few chances to improve the hand with a pair of aces and only the Aces can’t do magic in Pot Limit Omaha poker. Since the chances of improving the hands are less which makes it impossible to reach out to the pot. That is why it is not suggested to depend entirely on the Aces to win the pot money
7. Understand the Wraps
Wrap in poker is the most commonly used term in Omaha poker which denotes a straight draw with nine or more outs consisting of three or four hole cards and two cards on the board. Wrap-outs help you know about the chances you have to complete your straight draw.
Let’s understand this with an example:
The general pattern you need to follow while wrapping a straight draw in Pot Limit Omaha poker is-
Board Card | Hole Card | Hole Card | Hole Card | Board Card |
You are holding A-3-4-5, and you have got K-6-7 on the board then it means you have a wrap as any of the cards ranked 3, 4, 5 or 8, would complete a straight.
This means that you need to choose any three of the hole cards and two of the community cards to complete a straight draw. The cards that can complete your wrap are known as wrap-outs like 3, 4, 5, or 8 in the above example.
*Chasing a straight draw is a good PLO4 strategy, but be cautious as your opponents might draw a flush to beat you.*
8. Draw the Nuts
Thinking of cashew, almonds, or other nuts? No, no! We are not talking about literally the nuts but in poker, we use this term to denote the best possible hand.
Yes, nuts in poker mean the best combination or the best hand that you make with a combination of five cards on the table.
Since you know that in Pot Limit Omaha poker games like PLO4 you are given 4 hole cards that you use to make your hand and if you make the best nut you will definitely win the game. This is also common for Texas Holdem but it can be won with the help of pairs, sets, and two pairs and you can in the pot without the nuts as well.
Unlike Texas Holdem, in Pot Limit Omaha poker, making the nuts with straights and flushes help you get the pot and not the pairs and the sets. So, it is very important to understand how to draw the nuts in Omaha poker. However, you may face difficulty in making the nuts as the hands change at every street and you may have to think of some other plan to save the pot from slipping out of your hands.
9. Identify the Player Type and Play Accordingly
In poker, there are mainly four types of players and they are:
- Loose Aggressive (Maniac, LAG)
- Loose Passive (Calling Station)
- Tight Aggressive (TAG)
- Tight Passive (Rock)
All these four types of players have their playing styles which justify their names as given above. As a smart poker player, you need to identify your player type as well as the types of your opponents so as to understand their strategies well and know how to beat them. Using the same strategy against all the opponents is not appreciable and beneficial as every player is of a different type so handling them according to their type can help you win over them.
10. Focus on the Weak Players
As discussed above, there are four main types of poker players in the world of poker. As a good poker player, your focus should be to minimize your competition by knocking out the weak opponents primarily as the lesser the players will be till the showdown, the more will be your chances to own the pot.
the categories of poker players as they are willing to take big risks with bad hands. They don’t take many aggressive actions which indicate that buffing them is easy. Betting aggressively against such players with a strong hand can force them to fold early.
It has been observed that Loose Passive players are the weakest players among all the categories of poker players as they are willing to take big risks with bad hands. They don’t take many aggressive actions which indicate that buffing them is easy. Betting aggressively against such players with a strong hand can force them to fold early.
Tight Passive players are also considered to be weak players as they do not take much risk of losing their chips and play tighter hands, so betting aggressively against them with a strong hand can make them fold. However, tight passive players have the ability to win small pots even with low or weak hands. These kinds of players play a big pot only when they have a strong hand.
Loose Aggressive players are the ones who mostly rely on bluffing and taking aggressive actions without thinking much about losing the chips. The smart poker players with a big hand take advantage of them by making them increase the value of the pot and being patient and letting them bluff. They wait for the right time to kick loose aggressive players out of the game.
Tight Aggressive players are the strongest poker players on the table. They take aggressive actions at the right time in the game. They value their chips and utilize their aggression at the right point in a poker game. They are the most unpredictable as they may start with tighter hands and go aggressive when they find they have good drawing hands to beat other players on the table. They use this strategy to bluff their opponents and do not let them predict their hands.
So, as a beginner, you should avoid challenging a tight-aggressive player on the table.
The main characteristics described about each type of player will help you identify the weak opponents and then you should plan your strategy to make them fold.
To play Pot Limit Omaha poker four card games online, you should try to focus on these strategies and work hard to accommodate them in your game plan to have a successful poker journey.
Poker is a mind game that needs to be learned with a set of rules and played with a strategy. Online poker games in India are becoming more popular because of their easy to play format and instant deposits and withdrawals. Anyone can play poker online with a few clicks on their mobiles, laptops, and other devices and can win real money online.
To feed your poker passion with an outstanding poker experience, Play Now with India’s best online poker website, Acehigh which offers the best poker services and is a 100% legal and safe online poker platform in India.
Get on the poker train with us by connecting with the world’s best poker players only at PokerSocial. Find your inspiration and passion here, interact with poker players, chat with them, be a part of their live streaming, share posts and stories, and give wings to your poker passion. Get registered now, be a member of this amazing journey with us.