Pot Limit Omaha (PLO) is a poker game that is quickly gaining steam. One high-stakes poker podcasting guru, Joey Ingram, even labeled it as a “Great Game.”
You’ve probably strolled into the poker room and found grinders at the table wielding four hole cards instead of two. Well, that was PLO happening right in front of your eyes.
If you haven’t tried this Texas Hold’em-like poker game, you should. To give you a few reasons to get you on the wagon, we asked for comments from poker professionals at Beasts of Poker. Here’s what they answered:
Why You Should Try Pot-Limit Omaha
1. It Makes You Better at No-Limit Texas Hold’em
For Texas Hold’em die-hards, you have yourself an unbeatable reason to try out something new which you might end up loving. If you don’t, you will end up with even better skills that you can show off to fellow grinders.
PLO requires more or less of the same skills you need when playing Texas Hold’em, like counting outs, assessing the possible ranges of an opponent, and calculating pot odds.
You will need these three skills turbo-charged and supercharged to play Pot Limit Omaha. The most exciting part about playing PLO is the “wrap” draws. It happens when players hold several possible straight draws at the same time. In Texas Hold’em, you’re limited to eight straight outs. In PLO, you can hold an astounding 17 outs courtesy of the majestic wrap draw.
There’s no doubt with so many outs, you have your work cut out for you in figuring out the puzzles. That means sharpened analytical abilities that you can later deploy on a Texas Hold’em table if you ever decide to go back to it.
2. PLO is on Another Intensity Level
The most exciting and bone-chilling moment in Texas Hold’em is when a player goes all in. It’s impossible to think another game could come up with something more exhilarating than that. Well, PLO does.
Initially, the game starts slow, with initial bets capped at small amounts relative to the blinds. But in just one or maybe two pot-sized raises, the game starts to heat up.
The game allows you to jump straight into the fire and play for the big stacks right from the gates. It gets even better with a third blind bet called the “straddle,” often contributed on the button or under the gun. It’s equal to the double-blind but puts even more up for grabs before dealing the flop.
Now roll back and think about it. Four-card hands, jacked-up pots, and exponential stakes. What could be better than that?
3. There’s More Fish to Catch
Remember the good old days when Texas Hold’em played online? Every table had about five players who didn’t even know the rules. They were just sitting there waiting for you to reel them in. Those days are long gone.
The game is now popular, filled with seasoned players who have no problem adopting a GTO strategy for every play. Even worse, there are online courses on how to sharpen your poker skills and computer algorithm assisted solvers that will give you a solution to every play.
Simply put, winning at Texas Hold’em in the current era is astoundingly difficult. PLO is just the opposite. The game is rife with rookies who haven’t figured out the intricacies or range assessment.
If you can jump out of the gates and get a good feel of the game, PLO could be a windfall waiting to happen for you. A skilled player can quickly rack up a bankroll through patient grinding, especially now that there are action-packed tables filled with novices and clueless players in the game.
4. It’s About time you Picked Up a New Challenge
Technology has made it difficult to continue enjoying most poker games as you would back in the day. Right now, it feels like hours of playing only to leave the table with pocket change – almost like the game is plateauing.
Loyal as you are, you don’t have to go down with the game. You can try out something new to evolve your story and get the adrenaline flowing once more. Renew your enthusiasm and switch on your mind by giving this new game a shot.
PLO gives you an excellent opportunity to learn new skills, challenge your mind and get new ideas. What’s more, most of the game’s concepts like backdoor equities, the importance of blockers, strategizing on how to bet streets, and weighing your stack to pot ratio will all enhance your overall game.
Conclusion
If you’ve been giving PLO the cold shoulder, you now have four exceptional reasons to provide the game with a second look. Your current poker skills will come in handy, so you don’t have to feel like a total starter. Even if it’s just for a few hours, you will quickly love the game’s pace, feel, and excitement.
While the game is different in many aspects, how much you get out of PLO depends on how much you’re willing to put in, as with other poker games
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