PLO - Reading an opponent and psychological aspect of the game compared to NLHE?

[Youngmvo]

Hey,

I have been taking poker seriously only for last 3 months. I have been studying and grinding everyday and so far grinded from NL2 to NL16, however lately I have been really thinking about switching to PLO, because the game looks really fun and I am only 19 years old, so I feel like it could be good to hop on something that is lets say "newer" and not so many people are experts in that as they are in holdem.

My only concern is that even though all poker variants are math driven, the main reason why I started playing this game is that Psychological aspect of it (What does he have, is he bluffing, reading other people etc..)

I know PLO is in general more math and equity driven and maybe little more complex than NLHE, but is it for exchange for being maybe less psychology, reading an opponent driven or is the psychology and exploitative aspect of poker as important in PLO as it is in NLHE?

Thank you!

 

[crazycitizen]

Hello

Firstly, congrats on your progress so far! That is impressive, in only 3 months.
It is true that PLO is far less "solved" than NLHE, and personally I do find it more fun - the pots are nearly always multi-way and most players will have a piece of it.

PLO will require you to do some maths, but with a reasonable grasp of the maths PLO is still very psychological.
I normally find my tables have a mix of calling stations, aggro players, recs and rocks - so you have to navigate through the pots in a psychological way (just like NLHE).

I agree PLO maths is a little more complex, but I would not say there is less or more psychology in PLO. I would say the psychology is different.
NLHE tends to be a lot of HU pots, you can overbet, you can shove pre-flop, ranges can be very polarised etc.
PLO is more multi-way, even with the nuts a pot bet can still give your opponents odds to call, pre-flop all-ins are very rare, the list goes on.

As PLO is less "solved" I believe this leaves more room to be creative (when comparing to NLHE). This is what I think makes it psychological, but as I said, it's a different kind of psychology.

Hope my opinion helps you in some way

 

[BurnTurnRun]

The variance in plo is massive compared to nlhe. Very rare to see "dominated" hands preflop. I think one of the key points to omaha is being to read the board properly and be aware of every single draw.

 

[lukaszkrzi]

Hello there,

I understand that you have been taking poker seriously for the past 3 months and have been studying and grinding everyday to grind from NL2 to NL16. Recently, you've been thinking about switching to PLO because the game looks fun and you feel like it could be a good opportunity as not many people are experts in it yet.

First of all, let me tell you that PLO and NLHE are both poker games, but they have some important differences. PLO is a "pot-limit" game, which means that the maximum bet size is the current size of the pot. This leads to larger pots and more action, which can make the game more exciting. PLO is also a "split-pot" game, which means that the pot is divided among the best high hand and the best low hand. This can make the game more complex than NLHE, as players need to be aware of both their high and low hand possibilities.

When it comes to the math aspect of the game, PLO is generally considered to be a more "math-driven" game than NLHE. There are many more hand combinations possible in PLO and players need to be aware of their equity in different situations. This means, players need to have a good understanding of hand ranges and the different ways in which they can be played. But, don't worry, with practice and study, the math can become second nature.

However, just because PLO is more math-driven, it doesn't mean the psychological and exploitative aspect of poker is not important in PLO. In fact, it's just as important, if not more. Players need to be able to read their opponents, make good decisions based on the information they have, and bluff effectively. This is where the game becomes more interesting as you will have to adjust your strategy and playstyle depending on the type of players you are facing.

In summary, PLO is more math-driven than NLHE but the psychology, reading and exploitative aspect of poker is still important in PLO. If you are interested in the game and feel comfortable with the math, you should give it a try. It's always good to diversify your skills and learn new games. Just make sure to study and practice before diving in to the higher stakes.

Best of luck on your poker journey!