PLO4 · Stage 1PLO
Pot-Limit Omaha Rules: Four Cards, Use Exactly Two
How to play Pot-Limit Omaha: dealing, betting rounds, the must-use-exactly-two rule, and the hand-reading traps that catch every Hold'em player moving to PLO.
Omaha Equity Calculator
Equity for Pot-Limit Omaha — four-card and five-card. Enter up to six hands and any board, scored with the exactly-two rule.
Exactly two hole cards + three board cards.
Try an example:
Player 1
Empty = random hand
Player 2
Empty = random hand
Player 3
Empty = random hand
Player 4
Empty = random hand
Player 5
Empty = random hand
Player 6
Empty = random hand
Board (optional)
Pick a card for the highlighted slot:
Results
Choose at least one hand, then press calculate.
How to use the Omaha calculator
- Choose PLO4 (four cards) or PLO5 (five cards).
- Click a slot for Player 1 and pick cards from the grid — the next slot is selected automatically.
- Add more players (up to six), or leave a player empty to give them a random hand.
- Optionally add the flop, turn and river, then press Calculate equity.
Omaha odds chart: common preflop match-ups
Equity before the flop, all-in, heads-up. Calculated with this tool over 300,000 deals each (accurate to about ±0.2%).
| Hand | Against | Equity |
|---|---|---|
| A♠A♥K♠K♥ (double-suited) | Random hand | 71% / 29% |
| A♠A♥K♠K♥ | J♦T♦9♣8♣ (double-suited rundown) | 62% / 38% |
| A♠A♥K♠K♥ | A♣A♦Q♣J♦ | 54% / 46% |
| A♠A♥7♣2♦ (dry aces) | Random hand | 61% / 39% |
| A♠A♥7♣2♦ | J♦T♦9♣8♣ | 50% / 50% |
| K♠K♥Q♠Q♥ (double-suited) | A♣A♦7♠2♥ | 45% / 55% |
| J♦T♦9♣8♣ | Random hand | 56% / 44% |
| A♠A♥K♠K♥2♣ (PLO5) | Random hand | 63% / 37% |
| A♠A♥K♠K♥2♣ (PLO5) | J♦T♦9♣8♣7♦ | 56% / 44% |
The lesson: suits and connectedness matter as much as high cards. Dry aces are a coin flip against a good rundown, and even the best PLO hand wins only about 7 times in 10 against a random hand. On the flop, even top set is not safe: K♣K♠5♣4♦ on K♦7♥6♠ is only 58% against a wrap draw with J♥T♣9♠8♦.
Match-ups worth knowing
A♠A♥K♠K♥ against J♦T♦9♣8♣ is only about 61% to 39% before the flop. On a 9♥ 8♣ 2♦ flop, J-T-7-6 with a 20-out wrap is a slight favourite over top set. Try these yourself, then read PLO Hand Values to see why Omaha equities run so close.
Frequently asked questions
How does the Omaha equity calculator work?
Every hand is scored the Omaha way: exactly two hole cards plus exactly three board cards. When all hands and the flop are known, it checks every possible turn and river exactly. Before the flop, or with random hands, it simulates tens of thousands of deals.
What are the best starting hands in Pot-Limit Omaha?
Double-suited aces with connected cards, like A♠A♥K♠K♥ or A♠A♥J♥T♠, are the strongest. After that come double-suited rundowns (J-T-9-8, T-9-8-7) and high pairs with suits. Aces with two unconnected, unsuited cards (A-A-7-2) are much weaker than they look.
Are aces a big favourite in Omaha?
Much less than in Hold’em. A♠A♥7♣2♦ is only about 61% against a random hand and roughly 50/50 against a double-suited rundown like J♦T♦9♣8♣. In Hold’em, aces are about 85% against a random hand.
Does it support five-card Omaha (PLO5)?
Yes. Switch to PLO5 and each player gets five card slots. The exactly-two rule still applies.
Why are Omaha equities so much closer than Hold’em?
Each four-card hand contains six two-card combinations (ten in PLO5), so every hand has many ways to improve. Even A♠A♥K♠K♥ is only about a 71% favourite against a random hand.
Learn the idea behind it
PLO4 · Stage 1PLOPLO Hand Values: Why Equities Run So Close
Why Omaha equities are so close: calculated match-ups for aces, rundowns and double-suited hands, why one pair rarely wins and why drawing to the nuts matters.
PLO4 · Stage 1PLOPLO Starting Hands: Suited, Connected and Double-Suited
What makes a strong PLO starting hand: nut potential, suits, connectedness and pairs. The best hand types, the ones to avoid, and equity numbers for each.