5-Card Pot Limit Omaha (PLO5) is a popular variant of Omaha poker. Each player is dealt five private cards (‘hole cards’) that belong only to that player, along with five community cards that are dealt face-up on the ‘board’. The objective is to make the best five-card poker hand using exactly two of their hole cards and exactly three of the community cards.
The Basics of Play
- The Deal: Each player starts by receiving five private hole cards.
- Pre-Flop: Starting with the player to the left of the big blind, the action moves clockwise, with players having the option to fold, call the big blind, or raise.
- The Flop: Three community cards are dealt face-up on the board. After the flop is dealt, the first active player to the dealer’s left (player on small blind) can check or bet. Again action moves clockwise.
- The Turn: A fourth community card is dealt face-up on the board. Betting follows the same pattern as the flop; the first active player to the dealer’s left has the first move.
- The River: A fifth and final community card is dealt face-up on the board. Players have one last opportunity to bet, following which there is a showdown.
- The Showdown: Players reveal their cards, and the player with the best five-card hand wins the pot. The hand must use exactly two hole cards and three community cards.
Pot Limit Betting
Pot limit means that players can bet anywhere from the minimum bet to the total pot size. The maximum raise is the size of the pot, including the call. You can follow the rule that you can bet three times the last bet plus whatever was in the pot before the last bet. If you are first to act on a flop, turn or river there is no previous bet so the max amount to bet is the current size of the pot.
Calculating Bet Sizes the hard way
Example #1 (pre-flop):
Small blind: 5
Big blind: 10
Max raise: 15 (pot size before raise) + last bet 10 (the big blind) + 10 (your raise) = 35
Next max raise: 50 (pot size) + 35 (amount to call the previos raise) + 35 (raise amount) = 120
Next max raise: 170 (pot size) + 120 (last raise) + 120 (your raise) = 410
Example #2 (flop, turn, river):
Money in the middle: 75
Previous player max bet: 75 (size of the pot)
Next max raise: 150 (pot size) + 75 (last bet) + 75 (raise amount) = 300
Next max raise: 550 (pot size) + 300 (last raise) + 300 (your raise) = 1050
