Monday, September 14, 2009

Pot Limit Omaha Poker: A Brief Glance to PLO

By Tommy Skyler

PLO is starting to become famous in the community of poker. It has been in the European poker rooms for ages and also a staple on high stakes games. But it is due to the internet and its low stakes offer that it become one of the most sought after game in the World Series of Poker.

PLO is also a game of strategies but before you'll know about them, make sure that you know the notions of the game and what makes PLO dissimilar from other poker games.

1.PLO is all about action. In the game you are given four hole cards and there are five community cards. Even players who are not so good in the game can still receive a great hand and compensation. This holds true to those who settle in PLO from playing Texas Hold 'Em assumes that any flush is the greatest hand in the game and having a pair of aces will give them an edge. These converts usually are failed Texas Hold 'Em players, so there is a small chance they are going to excel at PLO as well.

2.The beginning cards in PLO are somehow very close in value in relation to the hands of all the players. It will be seldom if one came out a 60/40 favorite during pre-flop. Lots of players have failed on this aspect in PLO. It's not that as easy as Texas Hold 'Em pre-flop but the most difficult part is going to post-flop in PLO. But that doesn't signify that post-flop Hold 'Em don't need a tactical approach but in Hold 'Em you'll have a better chance to win compared to PLO going to the flop.

3.You need to have the nuts in PLO - if you're unfortunate enough not to have the best hand in the game or not drawing to have the nuts then it's time for you to fold because if you didn't you will be in a big mess. Drawing a second nut flush in PLO is not recommendable and those hands with no nuts are only there for backup. If you assume that you have the nuts during a hand, you may be in for a big surprise because in PLO the best nuts win.

4.To win PLO then better be acquainted with draws, re-draws, blocking cards and backup. Do you know that in PLO, it's possible to have multiple draws? There is a big probability that you'll get a 20 straight draw in PLO considering the following example: your hole card is compose of 4589 and the flop would be 67K - it means that in any 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, Ten draw it will make a straight hand - which is rather favorable than a pair of Kings. Now think if you also have got same suited hand to go with the straight.

When you and another player flop or turn the nuts then a redraw is applicable for you to end up getting a better hand. A good example would be having a flop of TJQ and you have AKQJ for your hole card and your opponent has AKT5 - you have a chance to get a full house on the redraw for your pair of Q and J.

Cards use for blocking and backup go together. These terms only pertain to draws that are not nuts and redraws you might posses that will either win the pot if they hit (backup) or lessen the other players chance of getting a good card because you already have it (blocking cards).

One good instance of a blocking card is when you assume that the other player is draws to a hand like a nut-flush, but you possess 2 or 3 of the same suit in your hole card. One good example of backup in PLO would be if you flopped top set and draw a gut-shot straight to accompany it.

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