I already told you making quads is not a rare thing in Pot Limit Omaha. Certainly when you play multiple tables at a time, your chances increases and if you play a session of 90 minutes a day, you’ll experience it almost every day. And what’s more beautiful than catching the most magnificent quads of all: quad aces.

I’m talking about quad aces with two aces in the hole here. Interesting point in PLO is how to play Aces preflop. Three things are important in this case: how strong are your aces (double suited, accompanied by two other high cards or rags like AdAs5c9h?), what’s your position and has somebody opened the pot yet with a raise? For example, I don’t like to (re)raise with Aces rags because you have to flop a set (you have no other draws). And I almost always reraise with double suited Aces. Make a big pot with them, you’re in good shape. Some hands would make it more clear:

These are definitely ‘raising aces’: I have a suited ace and can make a straight with both a wheel and broadway. Because I open the pot, my raise is low and I get two callers, this happens frequently. Then I flop quad aces and I know that unless somebody has 33, I can’t extract any more money here. I try to let my opponents pick up something but they obviously don’t. Next hand:

I have one suited Ace again and can make a low straight if necessary. I raise anyway because I have to open again and that means you’ll get a caller anyway. I flop a set and the board is relatively harmless but checking would be suspicious: bet pot. Turn gives me quads and I try to make it look that I’m scared of this card by checking. When my opponent bets I know he’s going to fire again on the river if I just call. That’s what happens and I take a nice pot. I hope you learned something about aces in Omaha . Otherwise just listen to the song of the day:

Girls in Hawaii - Flavor (From Here to There, 2005)

A lot of people think this doesn’t make a lot of sense. Sometimes it’s however possible to bluff in this game, even while playing the microstakes. But the opportunities are a lot less frequent than while playing Hold’em, certainly true.

An absolute condition that has to be fullfilled for a good bluff in PLO is being in late or even last position. If you are in this spot and everybody checks towards you (or somebody makes a small bet and the other players just call), this is the perfect moment for a good bluff. However, IF you decide to bluff, bluff well. So don’t make a small bet, trying to be suspicious (”i’m value betting the nuts”) because there will absolutely be players with some kind a hand who will call you (definitely on micro stakes). To make it really clear I have this example for you:

So I’m not running very well at this table and make a somewhat loose call on the cut-off. The flop is actually very good, I hope you see why. I’m drawing to the nuts with 9 cards, because I would make broadway with a T, Q or A on a rainbow board (very important in PLO when drawing to a straight). I get a cheap turn but don’t hit. Another round of low bets assure me of seeing a river. Now I don’t hit but two important important things happen that create an ideal bluff situation for me:
1. Everybody checks towards me in last postion, so nobody is really strong
2. The board pairs on the river, making I can represent that 2 or even a full house because of all the cheap cards

So I go for it and bet the pot (for me that’s all-in) and take the pot with a pair of ducks, AKQ kicker. Another lesson in PLO next time! For now, there’s only the song of the day left:

Jethro Tull - Reasons for Waiting (Stand up, 1969)

As you’ve maybe already noticed in the header of the blog, I started playing Pot Limit Omaha recently! I’m playing this game for a few weeks now and I have to admit: I’m really in love with it. But it took some time to get used to the game, let alone becoming skilled in it.

I rediscovered my old account on Everest Poker to go play PLO over there after I was informed by some friends that it’s a really pleasant game to play. I started with some micro buy-in sit ‘n go’s to grow accustomed again with the game (I had played it a couple of times before, but not very serious, more like a distraction when I was tired of playing Hold’em, or when I was tilting ). At first I was convinced there isn’t a lot of skills involved in this game, with a lot of players just calling every raise (which prevents you from protecting your hand) and drawing every time. As a reaction I started doing the same thing, resulting in 60% seen flops and a lot of drawing to a hand that’s not even alive anymore. So I’ve tightened up a bit and am getting better and better in the game, as I can hopefully show you in the following weeks. Meanwhile, you can maybe learn something from this plays and also start playing this beautiful game .

For now, I have a hand for you where I made quads. Contrary to Hold’em, you’ll experience this phenomenon of course a lot more often in Omaha. Let’s see:

As you’ll see later, I like to minraise with hands like these preflop (four high connectors). Those hands are very easy to play on the flop: either you miss the flop or you make a huge hand or draw (if you make two pair, you automatically have a straight draw). With some extra money in the pot, it’s easier to protect your hand (because of the Pot Limit). The flop is huge: I make trip Tens with King Kicker and a King high flush draw. So I decide to get some extra money in the pot by betting small. On the turn I improve to Tens full and add some extra value to the pot. River gives me quads and a typical PLO thing happens: my opponent either believes he has a full house with his hand (not realizing he plays trip Tens from the board) or he doesn’t believe anymore I have a Ten and can make me lay my hand down with a pot bet if I don’t have a big pair. What a great game.

Now I don’t have a lot of time for making all-time lists anymore , so I will recommend you ‘a song of the day’ every time from now on! And this day’s song is…

Beatles - In my Life (Rubber Soul, 1965)