D
Dani_California
Rock Star
Silver Level
Maybe check Google first? Of course a real-life teacher would be nice but you can get far just by searching through internet. Most players won't teach you for free either. Read books, go to YouTube for tutorials and coaching videos, search articles etc. Start with the basics and slowly go deeper one step at a time. If that's not enough, you can find coaches too just by Googling, like this for example: https://www.upswingpoker.com/plo-lab-pot-limit-omaha-coaching/
And never forget the best teacher: experience. Just go out there and start playing.
And never forget the best teacher: experience. Just go out there and start playing.
This Fish Chums
Visionary
Silver Level
A Short Thesis on PLO
Trips or better
90% of the time you should expect to need trips or better to win. Two pair is just way too easy for multiple players to get. And even if you have top two pair, straight and flushes hit way more often in PLO. If you don't have trips, fold to big bets. If you have trips, proceed with caution. Unless you have a straight or better I wouldn't initiate the action.
Trips
Now let's say you do hit the trips, here's a very important question. Were you holding a pair and hit the third, or are you holding 1 and hit the 2nd and 3rd on the board? Here's the trap with trips. People play pocket pairs a lot. So if you got trips and they tripped their pair, they have a full house and you got squat. Be very careful of the trips with 2 on the board. Even if no one has a full house, you could also be out-kicked. Very careful.
Straight and Flush draws
In good PLO, almost all flush and straight possibilities are being played for. If there are 3 to a straight or 3 to a flush, ASSUME 1 or more players have hit their straight or flush. If you have a straight and there is a flush on the board, you can pretty much assume someone has the flush. And if you have the flush and it's low, play cautiously against big betters. Getting caught with flush over flush is very common in PLO.
What to open with
First, pay very close attention to the table for about 3-5 orbits. If people limp in all the time, you're good to limp in a lot too. If people are potting it every other preflop then you have to tighten up and play more cautiously. The following strategy assumes you are at a relatively tight table.
Count your Straight and Flush possibilities
When you look at your cards, you have 4 of them. But what possibilities are there with your cards. Let's say you have 2 clubs and 2 spades. That means you have 2 flush possibilities. This is good. What about straights? You can have up to 6 straight possibilities. Let me give you a couple examples:
4, 5, 6, 7 = 6 straight possibilities (4-5, 4-6, 4-7, 5-6, 5-7, 6-7)
4, 5, 6, T = 4 straight possibilities (4-5, 4-6, 5-6, 6-T)
2, 5, 9, K = 3 Straight Possibilities (2-5, 5-9, 9-K)
What does it mean?
4 straight Ps (Possibilities) is good.
6 Straight Ps is great.
1 Flush P is good.
2 Flush Ps is great.
To open, you should have at least 2 Goods or 1 Great. Those are worth a limp.
2 Greats is worth a pot bet, unless someone else already potted it.
Now this is important, don't pay too much attention to the starting values. Look for the good and great starting Ps above.
As Kc 8h 7d is not nearly as strong as 5s, 6s, 7c, 8c
Limp with the first, Pot it with the second.
Pocket Pairs
Play pocket pairs, but limp with them no matter how high. Pocket pairs are deceptively weak in PLO. Here's why:
Let's say you have AA, but you don't hit trips. Well, now all you have is 1 pair.
Let's say you have AA and the flop come KK3. Well, now you have top 2 pair. But ask yourself, how likely is it that other people have played a K in their hand. Very likely. So your top two won't hold up against the probably K. Also, there's an outside possibility someone played 33 an has all of you crushed.
Finally, let's say you have TTAK and the board Comes A45. You literally have to throw away your pocket pair to play your pair of aces.
So, play pocket pairs, the possibility and rewards of hitting trips is very great in PLO. But don't treat them like holdem pairs. Treat them like having A-high in hold-em.
Conclusion
Well, I hope this helps. If it does, please hit me up and let me know. If not, well, at least it wasn't my money you lost.
Trips or better
90% of the time you should expect to need trips or better to win. Two pair is just way too easy for multiple players to get. And even if you have top two pair, straight and flushes hit way more often in PLO. If you don't have trips, fold to big bets. If you have trips, proceed with caution. Unless you have a straight or better I wouldn't initiate the action.
Trips
Now let's say you do hit the trips, here's a very important question. Were you holding a pair and hit the third, or are you holding 1 and hit the 2nd and 3rd on the board? Here's the trap with trips. People play pocket pairs a lot. So if you got trips and they tripped their pair, they have a full house and you got squat. Be very careful of the trips with 2 on the board. Even if no one has a full house, you could also be out-kicked. Very careful.
Straight and Flush draws
In good PLO, almost all flush and straight possibilities are being played for. If there are 3 to a straight or 3 to a flush, ASSUME 1 or more players have hit their straight or flush. If you have a straight and there is a flush on the board, you can pretty much assume someone has the flush. And if you have the flush and it's low, play cautiously against big betters. Getting caught with flush over flush is very common in PLO.
What to open with
First, pay very close attention to the table for about 3-5 orbits. If people limp in all the time, you're good to limp in a lot too. If people are potting it every other preflop then you have to tighten up and play more cautiously. The following strategy assumes you are at a relatively tight table.
Count your Straight and Flush possibilities
When you look at your cards, you have 4 of them. But what possibilities are there with your cards. Let's say you have 2 clubs and 2 spades. That means you have 2 flush possibilities. This is good. What about straights? You can have up to 6 straight possibilities. Let me give you a couple examples:
4, 5, 6, 7 = 6 straight possibilities (4-5, 4-6, 4-7, 5-6, 5-7, 6-7)
4, 5, 6, T = 4 straight possibilities (4-5, 4-6, 5-6, 6-T)
2, 5, 9, K = 3 Straight Possibilities (2-5, 5-9, 9-K)
What does it mean?
4 straight Ps (Possibilities) is good.
6 Straight Ps is great.
1 Flush P is good.
2 Flush Ps is great.
To open, you should have at least 2 Goods or 1 Great. Those are worth a limp.
2 Greats is worth a pot bet, unless someone else already potted it.
Now this is important, don't pay too much attention to the starting values. Look for the good and great starting Ps above.
As Kc 8h 7d is not nearly as strong as 5s, 6s, 7c, 8c
Limp with the first, Pot it with the second.
Pocket Pairs
Play pocket pairs, but limp with them no matter how high. Pocket pairs are deceptively weak in PLO. Here's why:
Let's say you have AA, but you don't hit trips. Well, now all you have is 1 pair.
Let's say you have AA and the flop come KK3. Well, now you have top 2 pair. But ask yourself, how likely is it that other people have played a K in their hand. Very likely. So your top two won't hold up against the probably K. Also, there's an outside possibility someone played 33 an has all of you crushed.
Finally, let's say you have TTAK and the board Comes A45. You literally have to throw away your pocket pair to play your pair of aces.
So, play pocket pairs, the possibility and rewards of hitting trips is very great in PLO. But don't treat them like holdem pairs. Treat them like having A-high in hold-em.
Conclusion
Well, I hope this helps. If it does, please hit me up and let me know. If not, well, at least it wasn't my money you lost.
Peppinotom
Legend
Silver Level
vinnie
Legend
Silver Level
Step 1: Do not play like the people at 1c/2c
$0.02 PL Hi (6 max) - Omaha Hi - 6 players
BTN: 37 BB (VPIP: 34.64, PFR: 5.88, 3Bet Preflop: 4.76, hands: 156)
SB: 93.5 BB (VPIP: 18.35, PFR: 2.25, 3Bet Preflop: 2.96, Hands: 270)
BB: 100 BB (VPIP: 38.46, PFR: 23.08, 3Bet Preflop: 14.29, Hands: 13)
UTG: 84 BB
MP: 464 BB (VPIP: 86.67, PFR: 26.67, 3Bet Preflop: 25.00, Hands: 15)
Hero (CO): 327 BB
SB posts SB 0.5 BB, BB posts BB 1 BB, UTG posts penalty blind 1 BB
Pre Flop: (pot: 2.5 BB)
BTN has 5♥ K♦ 9♠ T♥
UTG has 2♠ 8♥ 4♦ K♣
MP has 5♠ 5♣ 7♥ 8♦
Hero has 6♣ 4♠ K♥ J♠
UTG checks, MP raises to 4.5 BB, fold, BTN calls 4.5 BB, fold, BB calls 3.5 BB, UTG raises to 22.5 BB, MP calls 18 BB, BTN raises to 37 BB and is all-in, fold, UTG calls 14.5 BB, MP calls 14.5 BB
Flop: (116 BB, 3 players) T♣ 3♠ 9♣
UTG bets 47 BB and is all-in, MP calls 47 BB
$0.02 PL Hi (6 max) - Omaha Hi - 6 players
BTN: 37 BB (VPIP: 34.64, PFR: 5.88, 3Bet Preflop: 4.76, hands: 156)
SB: 93.5 BB (VPIP: 18.35, PFR: 2.25, 3Bet Preflop: 2.96, Hands: 270)
BB: 100 BB (VPIP: 38.46, PFR: 23.08, 3Bet Preflop: 14.29, Hands: 13)
UTG: 84 BB
MP: 464 BB (VPIP: 86.67, PFR: 26.67, 3Bet Preflop: 25.00, Hands: 15)
Hero (CO): 327 BB
SB posts SB 0.5 BB, BB posts BB 1 BB, UTG posts penalty blind 1 BB
Pre Flop: (pot: 2.5 BB)
BTN has 5♥ K♦ 9♠ T♥
UTG has 2♠ 8♥ 4♦ K♣
MP has 5♠ 5♣ 7♥ 8♦
Hero has 6♣ 4♠ K♥ J♠
UTG checks, MP raises to 4.5 BB, fold, BTN calls 4.5 BB, fold, BB calls 3.5 BB, UTG raises to 22.5 BB, MP calls 18 BB, BTN raises to 37 BB and is all-in, fold, UTG calls 14.5 BB, MP calls 14.5 BB
Flop: (116 BB, 3 players) T♣ 3♠ 9♣
UTG bets 47 BB and is all-in, MP calls 47 BB
A
AlbieTross
Legend
Silver Level
pokerstars offers a brief overview of how to play every game. You should check there.
kraemer
Visionary
Silver Level
Best advice I can give You... NO! It's not Holdem with more cards...!
Be prepared to learn a completely different game. I usually see many
people at Omaha tables who obviously have no clue and play as if they
would play holdem. Most of the time they are losing an aweful lot of
chips with hands that are playable in Holdem but are a joke in Omaha.
Most of the time in Omaha a player will have a flush or a straight if the
board allows for one. Omaha is a Nuts game... Yo uwill want to have the
best hand or at least something very close to it when the pot gets big.
JonathanAReth
has posted some good advice above!
In geeneral I would reecommend to start out playing very, very tight
when You start playing Omaha. Be very selective about your starting hands.
If Your starting hand is made up of 2 playable Holdem starting hands then it
can still be weak in Omaha. What You want to play are double suited hands
with connected cards.
Be prepared to learn a completely different game. I usually see many
people at Omaha tables who obviously have no clue and play as if they
would play holdem. Most of the time they are losing an aweful lot of
chips with hands that are playable in Holdem but are a joke in Omaha.
Most of the time in Omaha a player will have a flush or a straight if the
board allows for one. Omaha is a Nuts game... Yo uwill want to have the
best hand or at least something very close to it when the pot gets big.
JonathanAReth
has posted some good advice above!
In geeneral I would reecommend to start out playing very, very tight
when You start playing Omaha. Be very selective about your starting hands.
If Your starting hand is made up of 2 playable Holdem starting hands then it
can still be weak in Omaha. What You want to play are double suited hands
with connected cards.