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Why Poker Players Are Going Crazy With 5 Card PLO

Published by Jay Cooper on December 6, 2021

Five-Card Pot-Limit Omaha, known as 5 Card PLO, is taking the poker world by storm. Before we take a closer look at some of the finer details of the game, let us go over some of the basics and it will quickly become apparent why poker players are going crazy with 5 Card PLO.

Pot-Limit Omaha is perhaps the second most popular poker game behind Texas Holdem and following the success of standard 4 Card PLO, the 5 card variant was introduced. Much like the 4 card version of the game, 5 Card PLO is played with pot limit rules. The maximum amount that can be bet at any one time cannot exceed what is in the pot and players each receive 5 private cards at the beginning of the game. The aim of the game is to make the best hand using 2 of the private cards dealt at the start and 3 of the community cards.

There are 5 community cards that are placed in the centre of the table. Following the first round of betting, 3 of the community cards will be turned over by the dealer. Players then have the option to check, raise or fold. Following the round of betting, the dealer will turn the fourth community card and there will be another round of betting. The dealer will then turn over the fifth and final community card, known as the river. There is one, final round of betting and the players remaining in the game reveal their private cards. The player with the highest hand wins the money in the pot.

One of the many aspects of 5 Card PLO that makes it exciting is the fact players cannot bet more than the current value of the pot. This prevents players from going all in and forcing other players to match significant stakes at any point in the game. In terms of hand rank, they remain the same as Texas Holdem, with a Royal Flush being the top 5 card hand and High Card being the lowest ranked playable hand.

A key rule when playing 5 Card PLO is the fact you have to use 2 private cards in the game. Even top players can get confused by this, especially when there are 4 cards to a straight or flush on the community board. Players get excited and forget that can only use 3 community cards and this is a major part of 5 Card PLO strategy. The addition of the fifth card, for those who have played 4 Card PLO is huge and means that double suited Kings are not as valuable in 5 Card PLO ad they are in 4 Card PLO.

Poker players are going crazy with 5 Card PLO because of the increased action the addition of a fifth card brings to the table. Despite the limit on the maximum bet, with 5 cards in play it often takes little time for the pot to increase in size and this can see you having to play for a lot more money than you should. Always choose if you are going to back your starting hand carefully and wait until the flop before you commit big money to the pot.

If you have considered playing Omaha poker, 5 Card PLO is a great game but perhaps not the best game for beginners. If you are new to poker and want a game of PLO, 4 Card PLO is probably the best place to start. Once you get to grips with that game, you can add another card, which changes the concept of the game dramatically.