Many players play No Limit Texas Hold’em and have become decent in that format. Why would you want to take time and energy away from a game you can beat to learn a new format? Here are four good reasons why you should consider adding PLO to your poker repertoire.
1. There are Significantly More Weak Players
PLO attracts a variety of different players to the game. With that, there is no short supply of bad players piling stacks of chips in the pot with dominated hands and draws. Many of these players make critical mistakes, both pre-flop and post-flop.
Watching PLO games reminds me of the No-Limit Texas Hold’em games in the early 2000s when I fell in love with poker. It is common for several players to limp in the pot only to call a raise with a weak range out of position.
In lower games the population is limping almost four times more often than they are raising. These passive players bleed money pre-flop and post-flop.
A lot of players moving to PLO are also action players that like to see flops. They are seeking livelier games and bigger action. They play 50% or more of their hands pre-flop in hopes of hitting a strong hand or draw post-flop.
The problem is that many of them significantly overestimate the value of their hand post-flop. With so many bad players dumping money in the middle, profits go up for those who know how to take advantage of it.
2. Win Rates are Higher
Let’s face it. Most poker players play poker to make money. Playing is fun, and it should be, but no one wants to be a long-term loser at the game.
It’s no secret that No-Limit Texas Hold’em has gotten significantly tougher. Even the average weak player has a basic conceptual understanding of ranges, relative hand strength, and equity matchups.
This is not the case in PLO. Many players do not understand how to apply those same concepts to PLO. With that comes bigger mistakes and bigger mistakes lead to bigger win rates for the players that do understand these concepts.
How much bigger? I have seen numbers as high as three times that of Texas Hold’em win rates at the same mid and high stakes levels. Imagine doubling or even tripling your win rate simply by investing some time in learning a new game.
3. There are Less Resources to Learn the Game
I can imagine you are pretty confused right now. How is this a good thing? The first two reasons are directly linked to the lack of resources available. If I asked you to give me a list of No-Limit Texas Hold’em books, strategy sites, and free resources available to someone wanting to learn the game, it would easily eclipse PLO content.
To add to this, much of the free content available is bad and significantly outdated. The good news is that there is quality content available for those willing to invest in their game. With the current state of PLO, it does not take long for you to start winning with some dedicated study.
If you want to accelerate your learning and drive your win rate up faster, check out our friends over at PLO Mastermind. They have all the video content and study tools you need to quickly improve your game.
4. It’s Simply More Fun
Anyone who has spent some time watching a PLO game will notice it’s a lively, action-packed game. We already mentioned that we want to win money, but what is the point if we are not having fun too? Who really enjoys grinding it out at a tense table? That is what it feels like every time I sit down at a No-Limit Hold’em table.
PLO games tend to be a lot friendlier and lot more lively than other games. Players often get stacks in, but rarely do you get the blowups that you see in Texas Hold’em. Poker is not fun when you must deal with that. Stop grinding and get back to enjoying the game.
That’s all for this post. I hope that I have you ready to try this exciting game. Please take some time to check out our other blog posts and follow us by clicking the bell in the lower right corner to get updates on new posts.
