Blinds
The two players left of the button post the small and big blind. On RAIZE's smallest PLO-4 table that is $0.10 and $0.25.
How to play
pot-limit Omaha
Pot-limit Omaha (PLO) is poker's second most popular game: four hole cards, a five-card board and bets capped at the size of the pot. Here are the rules, the betting and the mistakes to avoid, then a live table to try it on.
- Hole cards per player
- 4
- Hole cards + board cards you must use
- 2 + 3
- PLO-4 stakes on RAIZE
- $0.10/0.25 to $10/25
Omaha poker vs Texas Hold'em
Omaha uses the same deck, the same five-card board, the same betting rounds and the same hand rankings as Texas Hold'em. The difference is in your hand: four hole cards instead of two, and a strict rule that you play exactly two of them.
More cards means more possible hands for everyone, so draws are bigger and the hand that wins at showdown is usually stronger. That is also why Omaha is almost always played pot-limit: it keeps the betting in proportion to the pot.
Hold'em
- Hole cards
- 2
- Hole cards you must use
- 0, 1 or 2
- Usual betting
- No-limit
- Stakes on RAIZE
- $0.05/0.10 to $25/50
How to play Omaha poker
A hand of PLO follows the same order as Hold'em, from blinds to showdown.
The deal
Every player gets four hole cards, face down. Pre-flop action starts with the player left of the big blind.
Flop, turn and river
Three community cards on the flop, then one on the turn and one on the river, with a betting round after each. No bet can be larger than the pot.
Showdown
Players make their best five-card hand from exactly two hole cards and exactly three board cards. The best hand wins the pot.
Omaha hand rankings
Omaha uses standard poker hand rankings, from best to worst. Because everyone holds four cards, straights, flushes and full houses come up much more often than in Hold'em.
- Royal flush
- Straight flush
- Four of a kind
- Full house
- Flush
- Straight
- Three of a kind
- Two pair
- One pair
- High card
Omaha hand examples
The two-card rule is where most new Omaha players go wrong. Ringed cards make the best hand; faded cards do not play.
One heart is not a flush
Your hand
Board
Ace high
In Hold'em the ace of hearts plus four hearts on the board makes an ace-high flush. In Omaha you need two hearts in your hand, and nothing else connects, so this is ace high.
Three queens play as a pair
Your hand
Board
Pair of queens
Only two of your queens can play, so the third one is dead. Holding three of a kind in your hand is one of the weakest starts in Omaha.
Two cards make the straight
Your hand
Board
Jack-high straight
The jack and ten join 9-8-7 on the board. Your pair of fives does not play: with exactly two hole cards allowed, you choose the two that make the best hand.
Pot-limit betting, worked out
The most you can raise is the size of the pot after you call. Work out the call first, add it to the pot, and that total is your maximum raise on top of the call.
The minimum bet is the big blind, and a raise must be at least as large as the previous bet or raise in that round. Everything in between is up to you.
Pre-flop at $0.10/0.25
- Pot before you act (blinds)
- $0.35
- Call the big blind
- + $0.25
- Pot after your call
- $0.60
- Maximum raise to
- $0.85
Facing a pot-sized bet
- Pot before the bet
- $10
- Opponent bets
- $10
- Pot after you call $10
- $30
- Maximum raise to
- $40
PLO strategy basics
Four habits that separate winning Omaha players from Hold'em players trying Omaha.
Pick hands that work together
The best Omaha starting hands are connected and suited, ideally double-suited, so all four cards help each other. Four random high cards are weaker than they look.
Pre-flop edges are small
Even a premium hand such as double-suited aces is far from a lock against a random hand before the flop. Most of the game is decided on the flop and later streets.
Draw to the nuts
With six two-card combinations per player, strong hands collide often. A flush draw without the ace of that suit can cost you a big pot.
Play in position
Acting last gives you information and control over the pot size, which matters more when every raise can be pot-sized.
Beginner mistakes to skip
- Reading Omaha like Hold'emOne suited card with four on board, or a pair on board plus one matching card in hand, does not make the hand you think. Always count two from your hand.
- Going all in with aces pre-flopAces are the best starting pair, but in Omaha they are rarely a big favourite before the flop. Building a huge pot with them and nothing else is a common leak.
- Calling with weak drawsLow straights and non-nut flushes look like good draws. In a game where the nuts show up often, they finish second too many times.
Play Omaha poker online, live
RAIZE deals PLO-4 and PLO-5 on real felt with real cards. Ready for a fifth hole card? Read the 5-card PLO guide.
- A physical deck, dealt on cameraEvery card comes from a real deck in RAIZE's GLI-certified studio. No RNG.
- Verified players onlyLiveness and facial checks run on join, and player-cams are optional on every seat.
- Table rules you controlRun It Twice, Call-Time, Straddle and Rabbit Hunt, resolved live as the hand plays out.
- Crypto in and outDeposit and withdraw in BTC, ETH or USDT on-chain. Visa and Mastercard work too.
PLO-4 stakes: $0.10/0.25 to $10/25
Find a PLO seat
PLO questions
What is the difference between Omaha and Texas Hold'em?
In Omaha you get four hole cards instead of two, and you must use exactly two of them with exactly three board cards. Most Omaha is played pot-limit, while most Hold'em is played no-limit.
Is PLO the same as PLO4?
Yes. PLO usually means four-card pot-limit Omaha. RAIZE labels it PLO-4 to tell it apart from PLO-5, the five-card version.
Do you have to use two cards in Omaha?
Yes. Every Omaha hand uses exactly two hole cards and exactly three board cards. You cannot play the board, and you cannot use three or four cards from your hand.
What does pot-limit mean?
The largest bet or raise you can make is the size of the pot after you call. At $0.10/0.25, the first player to act pre-flop can raise to at most $0.85.
Where can I play pot-limit Omaha online with a live dealer?
RAIZE runs PLO-4 from $0.10/0.25 to $10/25 and PLO-5 from $0.25/0.50 to $25/50, dealt from a physical deck by real dealers on camera.
A real seat is open.
Live dealers, verified players, crypto in and out. Join the first certified live-dealer poker network.