Drawing in PLO: Wraps, Nut Draws and Redraws

Draws in Omaha are bigger than anything you’ve seen in Hold’em. With four hole cards, a straight draw can have 20 outs, and a flush draw plus a straight draw can be a favourite over a set. But draws in Omaha also carry a hidden danger: with so many players holding so many cards, the flush or straight you make isn’t always the best one. The skill is telling the difference between nut draws, which win big pots, and second-best draws, which lose them.

Key takeaways

• A wrap is a straight draw that uses three or four of your cards; the biggest has 20 outs.
• Big wraps and combo draws can be favourites over top set on the flop.
• Draw to the nuts: non-nut flush draws are often drawing to a losing hand.
• Discount outs that pair the board when your opponent may have a set.
• Redraws and freerolls — draws to an even better hand — add a lot of value.

Wraps

In Hold’em, an open-ended straight draw has 8 outs. In Omaha, your extra cards can surround the board, creating a wrap. Our counts on a 9♥ 8♣ 2♦ flop:

Your hand	Draw	Straight outs
J-T-4-3	Open-ended (like Hold’em)	8
J-T-7-x	Wrap with three cards	17
T-7-6-x	Wrap below and above	17
J-T-7-6	The full wrap	20

With J-T-7-6, any Q, J, T, 7, 6 or 5 makes a straight: 20 cards. That’s more than a flush draw and an open-ender combined in Hold’em.

How strong are big draws?

From our Omaha evaluator, on a 9♥ 8♣ 2♦ flop:

• J♣T♦7♠6♥ (20-out wrap) vs 9♠9♦A♣K♥ (top set): the wrap is about 54%.

And on a two-heart 9♥ 8♥ 2♣ flop:

• A♥T♥7♦6♣ (nut flush draw + wrap, about 21 winning outs) vs 9♠9♦K♣Q♠ (top set): about 54% for the draw.
• A♥J♥5♣4♦ (a nut flush draw on its own) vs the same set: about 31%.

The lesson: a single flush draw is a drawing hand; a combo draw is often a favourite. Play big draws aggressively — raising a set with 20+ outs is often correct — and be much more careful with small draws.

Nut draws vs non-nut draws

With many players holding four cards each, it’s common for two players to draw to the same flush. The higher flush wins, and the pot is often large.

On 9♥ 8♠ 2♥, K♥Q♥ (king-high flush draw) against A♥J♥ (nut flush draw): the king-high flush draw has only about 23% equity — it wins mainly when it makes a straight or the board pairs its cards.

Draw	How to treat it
Nut flush draw (ace-high)	A strong draw; play it aggressively, especially with extra outs
Second-nut flush draw (king-high)	Playable, but beware of big action
Low flush draw	Often drawing to a losing hand — mostly fold to big bets
Nut straight draw	Draws to the top of the straight
“Ignorant end” straight draw	Draws to the low end; a higher straight often beats it

Discounting outs

Not every out is clean:

• If your opponent likely has a set, cards that pair the board give them a full house. Remove those from your count.
• If you’re drawing to a flush and a card also completes a higher straight or flush for your opponent, it’s not a real out.
• On a paired board, your straight and flush outs may be worth very little.

Redraws and freerolls

A redraw is a draw to a better hand after you’ve already made one. Example: you flop a straight and have a nut flush draw. If your opponent makes the same straight, you’re freerolling: you can’t lose, and you win outright if a flush card arrives.

Hands with redraws are the ones that win the biggest pots in Omaha, because they can bet and raise without fear of being outdrawn.

Playing a monster draw aggressively

PLO · 6-max · 100bb

Hero (BB)A1076

▶ Replay

1. Preflop

   Pot 1.5bb

   • BTN opens to 3bb, Hero calls in the big blind

2. Flop

   Pot 6.5bb

   982

   • Hero checks, BTN bets 4bb
   • Hero check-raises pot: nut flush draw + wrap (about 21 outs) — a favourite even against top set

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Quick check

On 9♥ 8♣ 2♦, how many outs does J-T-7-6 have to make a straight?

8131720

Check answer

Any Q, J, T, 7, 6 or 5: 20 outs — the biggest possible wrap.

Quick check

Why are non-nut flush draws dangerous in Omaha?

They never completeOther players often hold higher cards of the same suit, so your flush can lose a big potFlushes don't count in OmahaThey have fewer outs

Check answer

With four cards each, it's common for an opponent to hold the ace (or king) of your suit.

Practise counting wraps and combo draws in the PLO outs trainer, and check any match-up in the Omaha equity calculator.

Next up: putting draws and made hands together on the flop — PLO Flop Strategy.