Advanced open-raising
Introduction
In this article
- Why pre-flop play is important in PLO
- How the size of your open-raise influences the way the hand develops
- How to create a good stack-to-pot ratio
Many players think pre-flop play is far less important than post-flop play in Omaha games, since the various starting hands all have almost equal equity. This however is only partly correct.
The first betting round is the round in which information is gathered and various lines are used to pave the way for the action on later streets.
The pot size limit in PLO has a strong effect on how players bet in the course of the hand and, inevitably, on your implied odds and reverse implied odds.
And this is where having the right pre-flop open-raising strategy becomes advantageous. Setting the price for the flop allows you to actively influence the number of players in the hand, and the size of the pot respectively.
These two factors logically have a very strong influence on the relative strength of your hand. A queen high flush draw is worth a lot more in a heads-up pot than in a multi-way pot. Inversely, a nut flush draw in a multi-way pot has much better implied odds than in a heads-up pot, since it is more likely that one of the players will have a weaker flush.
Many players, including winning players, underestimate the opportunities that can be created with a solid pre-flop game, and neglect this simple way of adapting your game in order to avoid running into difficult situations at the poker tables.
It is definitely worth taking the time to perform an exact analysis of pre-flop play in PLO. Let's start with a look at various hand types and the options you have when open-raising.
A few general things to remember:
- In a pot limit game you have to manipulate the pot from the start
- You can influence the course of the hand by varying the sizes of your open-raises
- This affects your implied odds and reverse implied odds
The relationship between the strength of your hand and the number of players in the hand
You should know the relative strength of your hand in relation to the number of players who are expected to see the flop. We will differentiate between pots of 2 or 3 players (known as the heads-up pots or short-handed pots) and pots with more than 3 players (multi-way pots).
When no more than 3 players see the flop, it is generally less likely that one of them will hit his hand. This means that your and your opponent(s)' hand will often be unimproved on the flop. Consequently, you should be more inclined to bet for value with marginal hands, as they are worth significantly more.
Unlike in a multi-way pot, your opponent will make lighter call-downs in heads-up. You will even see players in the low and middle limits calling with as little as a TPTK, a six-high flush or a set, on boards that offer straights and flushes.
You have to place plenty of bets against these types of opponents in order to exploit them and extract max. value. As a thinking player, you can use your hand-reading skills to make lighter call-downs than you would in a 4-way pot.
The advantages of position and showing aggression are also much more evident in heads-up pots than in multi-way pots. Players tend to be much more honest when they are in multi-way pots. If you can't play in position, try to force difficult decisions on your opponent by firing a 2nd or even a 3rd barrel in carefully selected situations.
Heads-up pots also offer more room for creative and strategic play (floats and pure bluffs).
PLO Ring game $0.5/$1
Stacks & Stats
UTG $ 45.15
MP $ 102
CO $ 49.32
BU $ 75.36
SB $ 100
Hero $ 100
Pre-flop: Hero is MP with K
, 9, K
8
UTG folds, Hero raises to $2, 2 fold, SB raises to $6, BB folds, Hero calls
Flop ($13): 6, 6, 7
SB bets $7, Hero raises to $21, SB folds
In this hand the SB 3-bets your open-raise. The flop is relatively dry and your opponent can't really stay in the hand without a six or a full house.
You can generate quite a bit of fold equity since his range is very unlikely to include a 6, 77** or 67**. As you have nothing more than an OESD with a backdoor flush draw, you should try to win the hand directly on the flop.
Your kings might still be good as an overpair, but you could be way behind against a tight opponent who only 3-bets from the blinds with AA**. If your opponent does call, you can still hit your OESD or backdoor flush.
PLO Ring game $0.5/$1
Stacks & Stats
UTG $ 45.15
Hero $ 102
CO $ 49.32
BU $ 75.36
SB $ 100
BB $ 50
Pre-flop: Hero is MP with K, 9, K, 8
UTG folds, Hero raises to $3.5, 2 fold, SB raises to $11, BB folds, Hero ???
The same hand as before, but this time you make a pot-size raise instead of a min-raise. If you call, there will be $23 in the pot on the flop. This would result in a stack-to-pot ratio (SPR) of 4.3 with $100 effective stacks, which means your opponent can go all-in on the turn at the latest. SB's 3-bet robs you of your positional advantage on 2 streets (turn and river). The result is that there will hardly be any post-flop play in this hand.
PLO Ring game $0.5/$1
Stacks & Stats
Hero $ 105.18
MP $ 133
CO $ 26.32
BU $ 150.68
SB $ 64.20
BB $ 50.35
Pre-flop: Hero is UTG with Q, 8, 5, 5
Hero raises to $3.5, 3 fold, SB calls, BB folds
Flop ($8): 9, T, J
SB checks, Hero bets $8, SB calls
Turn ($24): 4
SB checks, Hero bets $24, SB calls
You are playing at 8 different tables and mis-click. Luckily the SB is the only one who calls your open-raise and you can play heads-up and in position.
You hit the 2nd nut straight on the flop and bet for protection against flush draws and sets, on this very draw heavy board. The SB's check/call is often a sign that he is on a draw, as he would probably have check/raised or donked to protect if he had the nut straight.
You bet again for value and protection after a blank shows up on the turn. Since you bet the max on the flop and turn, the SB now has to decide if he wants to play for the rest of his $28.70 stack or if he would rather check/fold.
PLO Ring game $0.5/$1
Stacks & Stats
Hero $ 105.18
MP $ 133
CO $ 26.32
BU $ 150.68
SB $ 100
BB $ 50.35
Pre-flop: Hero is UTG with Q, 8, 5, 5
Hero raises to $2, 3 fold, SB calls, BB folds
Flop ($5): 9, T, J
SB checks, Hero bets $5, SB calls
Turn ($15): 4
SB checks, Hero bets $15, SB …
Same hand again, but this time with a min-raise instead of a pot size raise (disregard the mis-click).
The key difference here is the size of the pot on the turn. Your opponent has $78 remaining, which means he theoretically needs just ~14% equity, if he gives himself his remaining stack in implied odds after a check/call on the turn. He will rarely give himself his entire stack in implied odds, but the example shows how a low SPR helps you to protect.
You can almost always assume that someone will have hit the flop in a multi-way Omaha pot and that you will therefore have next to 0 fold equity.
Most players are very straightforward in multi-way pots and you will rarely see a pure bluff or semi-bluff with a weak or medium strong hand. The key to success in Omaha is focusing on nut draws when in multiway pots.
Although this may sound trivial, after taking a closer look you see that there are two very good reasons for this:
Your reverse implied odds decrease and your implied odds increase.
The more players in the hand, the more likely it is that one of them has a smaller flush/straight/set and will be willing to pay you off. Ideally you want the nut flush draw or nut straight draw, combined with a flush draw or higher straight draw (a so called freeroll). These all give you good implied odds against weaker hands, and possibly a direct pay-off.
Marginal hands, which are relatively strong in relation to the number of players in a heads-up pot hand, are not worth much in multi-way pots. What might be a raise or a call heads-up is an easy fold in a multi-way pot.
PLO Ring game $0.5/$1
Stacks & Stats
Hero $ 105.18
MP $ 133
CO $ 26.32
BU $ 150.68
SB $ 100
BB $ 50.35
Pre-flop: Hero is UTG with Q, 8, 5, 5
Hero raises to $3.5, MP calls, CO calls, BU calls, SB calls, BB folds
Flop ($18.5): 9, T, J
SB checks, Hero checks…
This time you're not so lucky after mis-clicking; instead of being heads-up and in position you are now out of position and facing four opponents.
The danger on this flop is that a player behind you could already have the nut straight, or the same straight + a flush draw. These are much stronger hands here than in a heads-up pot. The best thing you can do is give up your hand and play check/fold.
PLO Ring game $0.5/$1
Stacks & Stats
UTG $ 45.15
Hero $ 102
CO $ 49.32
BU $ 75.36
SB $ 100
BB $ 50
Pre-flop: Hero is MP with K, 9, K, 8
UTG folds, Hero raises to $2, 3 call, BB folds
Flop ($9): 8, J, 4
SB checks, Hero ???
The same hand as in the second example, but this time you are confronted with three callers instead of a 3-bet from the SB. There is no sense in contibetting with two opponents behind you on a semi-draw heavy board. You've only invested $2 and can easily check/fold.
PLO Ring game $0.5/$1
Stacks & Stats
UTG $ 45.15
Hero $ 102
CO $ 49.32
BU $ 75.36
SB $ 100
BB $ 50
Pre-flop: Hero is MP with K, 9, K, 8
UTG folds, Hero raises to $3.5, 3 call, BB folds
Flop ($15): 8, J, 4
SB checks, Hero ???
Another similar example, but this time with a larger pre-flop raise.
Check/fold is still an option, but this time you've already invested $3.5 instead of just $2. That's a difference of 1.5 BBs.
It may not sound like much, but if you have this type of hand 2 or 3 times per 100 hands, it's a difference of 3-4.5 BBs, which will be noticeable in your win rate.
Open-raising from early position
Hands with nut potential are logically suitable for play in both heads-up and multi-way pots. You want to have implied odds against weaker hands and want to find a way of getting them to add to the pot with your raise.
You can make excellent min-raises from early positions (UTG, MP) with these multi-way hands.
These min-raises bring the following advantages:
- The blinds are more likely to call. And they are the only ones you will have position over.
- You make it easier for dominated hands to cold call than if you make a pot size open-raise. This makes it more likely for you to play in a multi-way pot.
- You build up the pot better than by just limping, which makes it easier to extract value after the flop. Your min-raise basically doubles the stakes for rounds in which you have a good hand.
- Your opponents won't be able to make as large 3-bets against a min-raise as against a pot size raise. This means that calling a raise behind you costs you a smaller portion of your stack. The stack-to-pot ratio also makes it harder for opponents to build up the pot and go all-in when they have a good made hand. You also have the option of floating out of position on the flop, giving yourself a chance to hit a backdoor draw.
- A lot of players seem to be allergic to min-raises and don't know how to react. They call too often and don't know how to properly evaluate your hand on and after the flop.
- You can join the pot cheaply with big pairs, the value of which consists for the most part of the possibility to flop a top set.
Exactly what kind of hands are we talking about?
| Hand | Example |
| Aabc ss | A, 9, 8, 7 |
| AA**-QQ** | A , A, 4, 2 |
| Axxy ss | A, T, T, 7 |
| ABBB ss | A, K, Q, J |
You obviously want to play against only one or two opponents with hands that have less potential in multi-way pots but good playability short-handed or heads-up. You should therefore tend to make full pot size raises from EP with such hands.
The reasons for this are the opposite of those we listed as reasons to min-raise:
- You have more fold equity on high-card boards as you represent a very strong hand.
- Your hand is very well hidden when you do hit a monster.
- You make it harder for the blinds and players in better positions to see the flop with a draw that has you dominated.
- You influence the SPR to your advantage, by robbing your opponent of any implied odds, even when you go all-in against a higher flush draw on the flop.
- You're much more likely to improve on the flop with these hands that you make pot size open-raises with, meaning you can go all-in unimproved more often than with hands like KK** and QQ**. You can also call a large pre-flop 3-bet, especially when you are fairly certain that your opponent has AA** after 3-betting.
Exactly what kind of hands are we talking about?
| Hand | Example |
| Connected and/or suited double pairs 66-JJ | T, T, J, J; 6677 |
| Suited run-downs | 4, 5, 6, 7; J, T, 9, 8 |
| Suited connected middle cards | 8, 8, 9, T |
Open-raising from the CO
Your raises from the CO should usually be pot size raises. This allows you to generate more fold equity against the BU, which makes it more likely that you will be able to play in position after the flop. Of course, you have to mentally size up your open-raises with the opponents you are facing, but finding the right size shouldn't be too hard with the help of the VPIP and PFR stats.
If the BU is rather tight, you can make a pot size open-raise with your entire range. If, on the other hand, the BU is rather loose, you will have to adjust accordingly.
You can either apply the min-raise strategy or a pot size raise strategy from the CO. When facing a very aggressive opponent who likes to isolate or 3-bet, simply min-raise from the CO as a general rule. The advantage of min-raising is that you will be able to call a 3-bet if one comes, since you will have a good SPR. You won't have the loose open-raising range you would have against a tight BU, so your range gives you an equity advantage. It also has good playability and is very disguised on the flop.
The best way of dealing with a loose aggressive player to your left is to simply leave the table. You should only stay at the table and engage in such a strategic battle when you have good reason to do so; a LAG to your left in PLO is like a hole in your wallet.
Open-raising from the BU
In light of the advantage of position, you can afford to be generally more loose than tight when on the button. You're guaranteed to have position and you will have two opponents at most, though it is much more likely that you will be heads-up and that the blinds will have a very hard time adapting.
It is completely normal to raise with 30-40% of your hands from the BU when all players fold against you. Some players even raise with 50-60% of their hands.
You can almost always call a 3-bet from the blinds with your entire range. The SPR after the flop will be large enough for the advantage of position to outweigh the advantage of having the initiative.
Another advantage this range gives you is this: even if your opponent knows you're making light open-raises, he can't 3-bet if he doesn't have a very good hand. You will have enough equity to call a pot size bet on 50% of all flops when you play a Top 70% hand against a Top 10% hand.
Variation
Some starting hands fulfill both criteria and are in the grey area between multi-way and heads-up hands. You should use these hands to balance your range by raising the pot and min-raising 50/50.
If you are generally facing good/solid opponents who might adapt to this open-raising strategy (which will hardly ever be the case), you can try balancing your optimal raise sizes with sub-optimal raise sizes 90/10 or 80/20.
By balancing as part of your strategy, you make it harder for your opponents to read your hand, which in turn makes post-flop play easier for you. You can end up getting confused if you think too hard about varying your raise sizes when facing weaker opponents however, so we suggest that you primarily just stick to the optimal raise sizes.
Tip: There are several ways to balance your raises. Some people decide based on the suit of the first card they are dealt, others based on where the minute hand is standing.
Exactly what kind of hands are we talking about?
| Hand | Example |
| Suited A with a small pair 55-88 | A, 6, 6,7 |
| Suited A with a small rundown | A, 6, 5, 4 |
Not being exploitable
Some attentive readers will certainly argue that min-raising against a thinking player automatically gives away at least part of your hand. Your opponents will know you almost always have an ace when you min-raise, and that you have a good drawing hand when you raise pot size.
This is a theoretical factor (and a poor one at that), but the truth is that it is very hard for opponents to make such reads when you balance your pre-flop play in this manner. Even thinking players rarely see all streets in a single context, but rather think from one street to the next.
You also need a minimal sample size in order to be certain that your assumptions are correct. This is rarely possible in the low and mid stakes since the player pool is so large.
And even if your opponent knows your strategy by heart, he won't be able to exploit your game because he knows that the SPR will allow you to call a lot of 3-bets with your min-raising range. At the same time he won't be able to cold call with a weak draw as he would be in danger of being dominated.
You can also use your image as an AA** min-raiser, in order to stay in the pot fairly cheaply with marginal hands and put your post-flop skills to use. Your pot size open-raising range is shoveable much more often after the flop, so you can also call if you get 3-bet.
If your opponent limps behind, he won't have much room for creative play (float, pure bluff) and won't be able to make full use of his positional advantage, since the SPR will be lower.
We should mention here that this is more of a guide for creating a good SPR for certain hands, and less of an ORC that you should strictly follow. All in all, the disadvantages are rather theoretical in nature and are clearly outweighed by the advantages.
Conclusion
The open-raising method found in this article is not absolute and should not become your pre-flop bible.
It simply illustrates the concept of creating an optimal SPR for your hand by varying your open-raise sizes from various positions. You should always take factors like the table flow, your image, and tightness/looseness at the table into account when making your decision.
Hopefully reading this article will lead you to become more aware of how your pre-flop decisions influence the way the rest of the hand will develop.
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