PLO Starting Hands -playing “Runs” in Pot Limit Omaha

When you’re evaluating your starting hand in PLO you are looking for a variety of different things, your hand’s “Strengths”. The main strengths of PLO hands are big pairs like AA, KK and even QQ, and having four sequential cards with at most a single gap. Additionally, factors like being suited or having cards that “work well” with your other cards is also important, and play into the overall strength of your hand. In this article I’ll be looking at sequential hands, known as “Runs”, and the different strengths and weaknesses of these hands.

Low Runs vs. Mid Runs vs. High Runs

In most situations Low Runs are unplayable. A low run is a hand where your lowest card is a 4 or lower, so anything up to 4567 is a low run. With these hands there are very few flops that are going to give you the nuts, and it’s unlikely many of your opponents will have a playable hand if you do flop a strong hand. Additionally, flopping trips -like 449, or 55Q-is a recipe for disaster, since you’re likely to be outkicked if anyone calls or raises you, and it’s unlikely you’ll make much money from someone who has a lesser hand.

Mid Run hands are a lot better proposition, and can be extremely strong against a raiser. When you flop a strong hand against a raiser with a mid run -any hand where the lowest card is a 5 and the highest card is a Jack, like 5678, 89TJ-it’s more likely your opponent has also hit a piece of the flop; of course the higher your run the more likely this becomes.

High Runs, 9TJQ, TJQK and JQKA not only have a lot of straight potential, but can also make strong made hands like top-two or trips with a strong kicker. One drawback, especially with JQKA, is that you lose a few straight possibilities with these hands.

The difference between high and low gaps

Playing hands with a “gap” in them doesn’t diminish your hand’s strength all that much -basically you are looking to play hands where your lowest card and highest card could make a straight on their own, such as 78TJ, the 7 and Jack can make a straight, unlike 68TJ where the 6 and Jack cannot make a straight.

An example of a decent hand in PLO is a hand like 7s8c9dJc. You have a good run, with a single gap, and an alright flush draw with the Jack and 8 of clubs. However, the gap is what is called a high gap since it occurs between the last two cards (you would prefer the gap to be in the middle or the best case scenario at the bottom). The difference between a low gap/middle gap and high gap has to do with turning the nuts: when you look at good flops for 789J you’ll see why this is the case:

When you have 789J and see a flop of 69T yes you have the nuts, but any 8, Jack, Queen or King makes a higher straight possible. On the other hand, when you have a hand like 79TJ and flop a straight like 68T you not only have the nut straight, but only a 9 or Jack will make your straight second-best. Additionally a Queen will improve your hand giving you backup against an opponent with the same straight.

When you have 789J and see a flop of 29T you have a wrap straight (any 6, 7, 8, Jack or Queen will give you a straight), but only a 6 or 7 will give you the nut-straight. Furthermore a Jack gives you the third-nut straight. On the other hand, when you have 79TJ and flop something like 289 you also have a wrap-straight (any 6, 7, Ten, Jack or Queen will make you a straight), but this time a 6, 7 or Queen gives you the nuts, and a Ten or Jack is the second-nuts.

Adding suits to the mix

Suits can greatly change the strength of your hand, but unless you have a suited Ace the strength added to your hand decreases with each additional opponent entering the pot. So, a hand like 6789 double-suited is extremely strong against a lone opponent, but with 3 players in the pot the value of your suits is next to nothing.