Pot Limit Omaha poker  tournaments are a relatively new and crazy style of tournament. Most players don’t really understand how to play PLO tournaments just yet and there is a lot of dead money to be picked up. There is a high level of variance in this style of tournament simply because instead of a traditional holdem tournament you get four cards to play with instead of two. These tournaments as odd as it sounds play very similar to that of NL holdem tournaments. Meaning, that you will want to play passive in the beginning and open up your game as the ladder stages come. Trying to run over your table from the very beginning of these is not a good strategy because you will more time than not be sitting on the rail watching as the rest of the players finish out the tournament.

What you want to do in PLO tournaments is waiting for the big drawing hands and make pot bets in correct situations. If you completely miss a flop it is best to not continue in the pot, and check it down. If you flop a big hand like a straight and nut flush draw you will want to get the most money you can in the pot before the turn card comes out. The reason behind that are implied odds, or the odds of you making your hand are very great. If you see a turn card against your opponent who is holding top two pair you can lose a lot of return on your money if the turn peels off your straight or flush.

This tournament is filled with players who are applying constant pressure on their opponents. With it being newer on the tournament scene, if you can sit back and observe the players at your table you can pick off specific cards that your opponents have. For the most part players will not fire numerous shells on bluffs, but rather fire numerous shells on the come. If you can be the player who is applying the pressure to your opponents you will be the player who will go farther in the tournament. This style of tournament has a wild amount of variance, and the nuts on the flop could be crumbled with the turn of a card. Playing these tournaments you need to be willing to put your whole stack in at any stage of the tournament if you feel you have the best hand. The best hand also changes so often that you will want to make sure what cards and suits you are holding when first checking your hand so it isn’t obvious if you do get there on a draw.

Playing deeper stacked later in PLO tournaments is actually very simple. When you have a big drawing hand or set apply pressure to your opponent and force them to make a decision. There are not stone cold bluffs all that often so you shouldn’t be making plays at pots more than a continuation flop bet. If you find yourself stuck in a pot holding the low end of a straight it is usually best to fold to a three bet, but there is a lot left up for your own interpretation in PLO tournaments. So, play your draws and hopefully you will come out on top.