Pot-Limit Omaha (PLO) is one of the most popular betting structures in Omaha poker. Unlike No-Limit Hold’em, where you can go all-in at any time, Pot-Limit Omaha restricts your maximum bet to the size of the pot. While the minimum bets remain the same as in No-Limit Hold’em, calculating the “pot limit” in PLO can be a bit more complex.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to determine the maximum bet in PLO based on different scenarios.
Basic Scenario:
If you’re first to act on the flop and the pot contains $20, the maximum you can bet is $20. This is straightforward.
Facing a Bet:
However, the situation becomes more complicated when you’re facing a bet, as you need to account for the cost of your call in the pot size.
The pot size in PLO is calculated as:
- The amount in the pot before your opponent’s bet, PLUS
- Your opponent’s bet, PLUS
- The amount you would need to call.
Once you’ve calculated that total, you can then raise by that amount on top of your call.
Example:
Let’s say there’s $20 in the pot on the flop, and your opponent bets $10.
- The amount in the pot before your opponent’s bet: $20
- Your opponent’s bet: $10
- The amount you would need to call: $10
Add these together, and you get $40. This means you can raise $40 on top of the $10 call, making your total bet $50.
If this seems complicated, there’s a shortcut: You can bet three times the last bet plus whatever was already in the pot before that bet. Keep in mind that the “last bet” refers only to the current round of betting. For example, if you’re the first to bet on the flop, turn, or river, there has been $0 bet so far. Previous rounds of betting only contribute to the current pot size. Pre-flop, the posted blinds count as bets, so you must consider the value of the blinds in your calculation if you’re raising.
Special Case:
If you’ve already made a bet during the current betting round, subtract that amount from your calculation when using the “three times the last bet” rule. This will ensure your calculations are accurate.
Now, let’s explore several examples to see how the “Rule of Three” applies in different scenarios.
Example #1
Question: Pre-flop, you are under the gun. The blinds are $5 and $10. What is the maximum you can bet?
Answer: The last “bet” (the big blind) was $10, and what was in the pot before that was $5. So the math is (3 x $10) + $5. You can bet up to $35.
Example #2
Question: Pre-flop, you are on the button. The blinds are $1 and $2. There are three limpers in front of you. What is the maximum you can bet?
Answer: The last “bet” was $2 (the final limper), and what was in the pot before that was $7 (the blinds plus 2 other limpers). So the math is (3 x $2) + $7. You can bet up to $13.
Example #3
Question: In a $2/$5 game, there is $15 in the pot pre-flop. On the flop, you want to open for pot. What is the maximum you can bet?
Answer: This is the easy one! No betting has been conducted in this round. So you can match what’s in the pot pre-flop. You can bet $15.
Example #4
Question: There is $10 in the pot. Player A in front of you bets $5. What is the maximum you can bet?
Answer: The last bet was $5. There was $10 in the pot before that. (3 x $5) + $10 = $25. You can bet up to $25.
Example #5
Question: There is $10 in the pot. Player A bets $5. Player B raises to $25. What is the maximum you can bet?
Answer: The last bet is $25. There was $15 in the pot before that. (3 x $25) + $15 = $90. You can bet up to $90.
Example #6
Question: You’re in the small blind in a $5/$10 game. The button raises to $30. What is the maximum total amount you can re-raise to?
Answer: The last bet is $30. There was $15 in the pot before that. (3 x $30) + $15 = $105. But, by the special case noted above, you also have to subtract any amount you have already wagered on the current street, or $5. So, you can raise up to $100 (total).
Example #7
Question: There is $10 in the pot. You bet $5. Player A raises to $25. What is the maximum total amount you can re-raise to?
Answer: The last bet is $25. There was $15 in the pot before that. (3 x $25) + $15 = $90. But, by the special case noted above, you also have to subtract any amount you have already wagered on the current street, or $5. So, you can raise up to $85 (total).
At first calculating the pot limit can seem daunting. Eventually you will get the hang of it. In the meantime, you can always just announce that you bet “pot” and the dealer will figure it out for you!
When playing on OmahaPokerTraining.com, you can use the bet slider to see the minimum and maximum amount you can legally bet or raise. Slide the bar all the way to the left and you’ll see the minimum amount. Slide all the way to the right to see the maximum (“pot”) bet.