Learn how to play PLO 8

Pot Limit Omaha 8 or Better, or PLO 8 for short, is a popular split poker variation where the pot is split between the best high five-card hand and the best low hand. The low hand has to contain five cards of different ranks that are all ranked eight or lower to qualify.

In technical terms, the game plays identical to the regular PLO. The only difference is at the showdown, where the high hand wins only half the pot, provided there is a qualifying low hand.

On this page, we bring you a detailed breakdown of PLO 8 rules, including a quick how-to-play guide, some starting hand guidelines, common mistakes to avoid in this game, and more.

PLO 8: The Basics

PLO 8 is a hand played with blinds and community cards, just like the regular Pot Limit Omaha. At the start of a hand, two players seated to the left of the dealer position post the blinds (the small and the big blind, respectively).

Cards are dealt starting with the small blind position and going clockwise, one at a time. The deal is done when each player has received four cards, face-down.

The first betting round starts after the deal (preflop). The first three cards are dealt (the flop), followed by another betting round. This is followed by the turn card, another betting round, and the final river card, and the last round of betting.

Like in all pot limit games, the maximum size of any individual bet is capped at the size of the pot.

After all the betting is done, if there are two or more players left in the hand, there is a showdown. At this point, the pot will be split between the best five-card high hand (according to standard poker hand rankings) and the best five-card low hand.

If there is no qualifying low hand, the best high hand wins the entire pot.
Players have to use exactly two cards from their hand and three community cards to form their hands. However, they are allowed to use different two + three card combos for the high and the low.

Determining the Low Hand in PLO 8

In PLO 8, the qualifying low hand consists of five cards of different rankings that are all 8 or lower. Flushes and straights do not count against the player.

For example, a player holding AsKh6d3s on a board of AhJd5c4c2d would have a straight (2-3-4-5-6) as their high hand and a six-low as their low hand. When comparing low hands, the one with the lowest card on top wins, i.e., a 6-low always beats a 7-low, regardless of the other cards.

It sometimes happens that there is no qualifying low hand. If we take the above example, but change the runout slightly so that it is KhJd5c9c2d, the player’s best high hand will be a pair of kings, but they will not have a qualifying low, since it’s impossible to make a five-card hand consisting of cards of different rankings that are all eight or lower. The best option is A-2-3-5-9, and 9-high hands don’t qualify for the low portion of the pot.

PLO 8 Starting Hand Guidelines

Figuring out the best starting hands in PLO 8 is tricky for beginners because you want to play hands that can win both halves of the pot (which is known as scooping).

An ace is a particularly powerful card in PLO 8 because it is a key card in the best possible low hand, which is A-2-3-4-5, and, when suited with any of your other three cards, it has the potential to make nut flushes, which are pretty strong hands on the high side.

Hands that you’ll definitely want to avoid are middling hands like 6-7-8-9. While these can be okay in PLO, in PLO 8, these will rarely win you the entire pot, and quite often, you’ll end up “quartered,” winning only one half of the high or the low and losing the second half entirely.

Very strong high hands are still playable in PLO 8, but they are not as powerful. For example, A-A-K-K double-suited is still a very strong hand, but it can be additionally tricky to play on low rundowns where your opponents can put a lot of pressure on you with a strong low hand.

• A-A-2-3 double-suited is the strongest starting hand in PLO 8
• A-2-x-x and A-3-x-x with a suited ace are some of the best starting hands in this game
• Strong high-only hands are still very much playable, but you will have to be particularly aware of the board texture

Common PLO 8 Mistakes

One of the biggest mistakes players new to Pot Limit Omaha 8 make is forgetting that this is a split pot game and playing for just one half of the pot.

While you’ll have to do this from time to time, it is a situation that you’ll want to avoid as much as possible. Your entire strategy should be focused on playing hands that have the potential to win the entire pot.

A second common mistake is calling off too light with high hands, believing their opponents are making a play with just a low. While this is a legitimate strategy, you shouldn’t be going to a showdown with weak hands. If you don’t have a hand that is close to the nuts for at least one half and there is heavy action, folding is usually your best course of action.

You should also be very aware of the dangers of getting “counterfeited.” This happens when your low hand is negated by the runout.

For example, your only low cards are A-3 and the board runs out 2-4-K-9-3. You don’t have a low hand in this situation, because your 3 was counterfeited. While it seems obvious, it is one of the things that beginner players often overlook and don’t consider when planning their bets.

PLO 8 Poker Terms

• Scoop — to win the entire pot, i.e., the high and the low half.
• Quarter — winning only a half of one half of the pot, i.e., a quarter of the entire pot.
• Counterfeit — when a community card matches one of your low hole cards, negating your low hand.
• Nut low — the best possible low hand given the community cards runout.

PLO 8 Tips for Beginners

• Remember that you are usually playing for two pots. Strong starting hands should ideally have the potential to win both the high and low halves.

• Start with hands containing an ace. An ace can contribute to both high and low hands, making it especially valuable in PLO8.

• Treat A-2 as your most important low combination. It gives you the two lowest possible cards toward a qualifying low, but A-2 alone does not make a starting hand worth playing.

• Prefer hands in which all four cards work together. Look for combinations that can make nut lows as well as strong straights, flushes, and other high hands.

• Remember the “exactly two” rule. You must use exactly two hole cards and exactly three community cards to make your five-card hand.

• Know when a low is possible. The board must contain at least three different cards ranked 8 or lower for a qualifying low to exist.

• Don’t chase low when there can’t be one. If the board cannot produce a qualifying low, the entire pot will go to the best high hand.

• Play for the nuts. Second-best flushes, weak lows, and non-nut straights can be expensive, particularly in multiway pots.

• Be careful when your low gets counterfeited. If you hold A-2 and an ace or deuce appears on the board, your low potential can become significantly weaker.

• Value backup low cards. A hand such as A-2-3-x gives you additional protection if your ace or deuce is counterfeited.

• Understand quartering. If you tie another player for the low while that player wins the high, you may receive only one-quarter of the pot.

• Avoid playing just to win half the pot. Drawing only to the low can leave you investing significant money just to recover your share of the pot.

• Prioritize scooping. The goal is to win both the high and low halves. Hands capable of making the nut low and a strong high hand are especially valuable.

• Recognize freeroll situations. If you share the same low as an opponent but have a chance to improve to a winning high hand, you may be freerolling for the other half of the pot.

• Don’t overvalue bare A-2. Hands such as A-2-8-9 rainbow have limited high potential and can become vulnerable when the low is counterfeited.

• Be cautious with high-only starting hands. Even excellent PLO high hands can lose value in PLO8 when they are competing for only half of the pot.

• Don’t overplay big pairs. Aces become much more valuable when accompanied by strong low cards, suitedness, or connected cards.

• Pay attention to position. Playing more hands from late position and fewer marginal hands from early position makes difficult PLO8 decisions easier.

• Play tighter from early position. Marginal low hands and disconnected combinations become particularly difficult to play when several opponents enter behind you.

• Respect multiway pots. As more players enter the pot, focus increasingly on hands capable of making the nuts in one or both directions.

• Don’t confuse a nut low draw with a made low. You need five qualifying cards before a low exists.

• Learn to read low hands from the highest card downward. For example, 6-4-3-2-A beats 6-5-3-2-A because the 4 is lower than the 5.

• Remember that straights and flushes do not hurt your low. A-2-3-4-5 is the best possible low even though it also makes a straight for high.

• Remember that pairs cannot be used as two different ranks in your low. A qualifying low requires five different card ranks of 8 or lower.

• Think about both halves before making a big bet. Ask what can win the high, what can win the low, whether you can scoop, and whether you are at risk of being quartered.

• Fold more marginal starting hands. Four hole cards make many PLO8 hands look playable, but avoiding disconnected hands, weak lows, and hands without nut potential will save beginners a lot of money.

PLO 8 FAQ

How is the pot split at the showdown in PLO 8?

In PLO 8, the pot is split between the best five-card high hand and the best qualifying low hand.

What constitutes a low hand in PLO 8?

For a hand to qualify for the low, it must contain five cards of different rankings, all ranked eight or lower.

Do flushes and straights count against the player in PLO 8 when assessing the low hand?

No, flushes and straights do not count against the player.

What happens if there is no qualifying low hand at the showdown?

When there is no qualifying low hand, the best high hand wins the entire pot.

What does it mean to scoop in PLO 8?

To scoop means to win the entire pot, i.e., winning both halves of the pot, whether by holding the best high hand when there is no qualifying low, or by holding the best high and the best low hand.