Run It Twice, and Split It Thrice
PLO8 on Your Plate
PokerBros PLO8
One of the most popular formats of PLO to play these days is Hi/Lo.
It’s a game that has been played forever, but one that slows down live games so never really gained full popularity until the online poker era. This growing popularity of the game culminated in PLO8 being added to the WSOP schedule in 2007 as a single $1,500 event, but since has led to the growth in mixed games and the five card variant of PLO8 colloquially known as “Big-O”. As the traditional online sites died and poker app games like PokerBros grew in popularity, so have the variants and options for playing PLO8. There are plenty of rules primers available for the rules of Omaha and Hi/Lo, and this article will focus on the options for playing PLO8 on PokerBros. (If you know PLO, you probably at least know what PLO8 is, even if the strategy or gameplay seems backwards from ordinary PLO.)
Formats
On PokerBros PLO8 is more diverse than on any other platform. Six max 6-card PLO8 with an ante is popular at mid-stakes (1-2 chips with a 2 ante for example), but also 6-card 25-50 PLO8 with a 50 chip ante that makes for some mental pots with a min and max buy being the same at 20bb. Stacks have grown to six-figures before when everyone in the game can start with only 1000 chips. Some clubs have deep stack PLO8 as well to contrast. These games can be nitty in nature however. The flexibility of the PokerBros software allows club owners to cater to the desires of any game, and often you will see trends of the variations being played. The action really can range, but the most fun is usually had when the whole table is all in and agreeing to run it three times over and over!
PLO8 Is Great, but There Are Drawbacks
One of the biggest drawbacks to any PLO8 game are nits and the fees. Since pots are split so often, and big hands can be played with impunity in many spots (especially in 4-card), tight players often ruin games by playing too tight. To add insult to injury, many times playing against tight players, you will find your lockup hand splitting with theirs. A split is never the worst result, but in PLO8 (and all split pot poker games) you end up paying double the fees in pots. This can make games you can crush otherwise unbeatable. This is not good for anyone.
Nits are despised by any recreational players, and as agents we try to discourage nitty play or servicing known anglers, but there is an exclusive workaround for PokerBros PLO8 games! The solution is to limit you play to tables that have at least a minimum lifetime VPIP (tracked by the software) of 40% or more. This might make it harder to get a good game, but it excludes TAGs and surly disciples of Sam Grizzle from making your game not only unpleasant, but unviable EV-wise.
Earn Rate
The best part about PLO8 is the reduced variance and win rate. It’s possible to get still the glory days of 30bb/100 if you game select a bit. Don’t think of this as being a nit yourself, just not enabling them. It takes action to get action, but if you give action, you’re never under any obligation to get it to those who don’t. PLO8 has both a pool of very sharp players, and also total noobs. It’s ok if it is not your best game, just make sure that you are not the spot at the table and you will stand a much greater chance of winning. Just because people aren’t colluding doesn’t mean that sharks eat themselves when blood is in the water. If you are the one giving action to every player at the table, maybe take time to review some hands and make sure you aren’t it. This leads us to security.
Security
Our PokerBros agents are educated in the complexities of PLO8, and draw from traditional poker site security in understanding how unethical players operate in PLO8 games. PLO8 is often a haven of cheats because it gives the greatest advantage to those knowing where only a few of the cards are, as well as plausible deniability for not playing certain hands. Unlike other games, in PLO8 folding the nut-low or nut-high is an instafold to a small c-bet a lot of the time. Such a quirk of strategy allows for best hand plays to remain difficult to detect or comprehend for those not an expert in game security. Rest assured that all Hi/Lo games get extra attention in terms of fair play, and the players who know each other. We recommend exercising caution in union play when complaints to other club or union owners can fall on deaf ears. Just because we are experts, doesn’t mean other people are, hence one of the caveats of unregulated decentralized games.
Conclusion
This article might not be what you were expecting in regards to learning about PLO8, and we didn’t even sniff a discussion about strategy, but it might be the most profitable article you read about the game as a newcomer to PLO8 or PokerBros in general. PokerBros has legitimate games run by reputable agents and club owners, but that doesn’t mean unethical things won’t ever happen. As your personal agent, we only lose if you are blind to the risks of a completely new ecosystem. PLO8 is a fun game to play, but you need to be aware what makes for a good game, and what makes for a difficult game. PLO8, unlike any other game, is a format of poker that burns brightly for a while, and then burns out as the worst players lose. It’s neat in a way because it’s almost entirely pure poker skill that makes you a winner. The math is simple. You have to just understand the tendencies of who you are playing against.
A: PLO8, or Pot Limit Omaha Hi/Lo, is a popular poker variant that has gained prominence with the rise of online poker. In this game, players aim for both the highest and lowest hands using their two hole cards combined with three community cards. The popularity of the format grew significantly when it was added to the WSOP schedule in 2007, and it continues to evolve with variations like the five-card variant, colloquially known as “Big-O”.
A: PokerBros offers a diverse range of PLO8 games, more than any other platform. Variations include six max 6-card PLO8 with an ante, which is popular at mid-stakes, and 6-card 25-50 PLO8 with a 50 chip ante. PokerBros’ software flexibility allows club owners to tailor games to any preference, and its popularity has led to a variety of game formats being played.
A: One of the main drawbacks of PLO8 is the impact of tight players and the fees. Pots are often split in this game, leading to higher fees for each pot. Tight players can also negatively affect the flow and enjoyment of the game. On PokerBros, however, there is a workaround that involves limiting play to tables with a minimum lifetime VPIP of 40% or more, thereby excluding overly tight players.
A: PLO8 games can offer a reduced variance and a good win rate. By being selective about the games you join, it’s possible to achieve win rates similar to the glory days of poker, around 30bb/100. However, it is essential to ensure that you are not the least experienced player at the table to avoid becoming a target for more seasoned players.
A: PlayPokerBros agents are well-versed in PLO8 and utilize traditional poker site security measures to understand how unethical players may operate. Extra attention is given to Hi/Lo games to ensure fair play, and players are cautioned to exercise care in union play, where complaints may not be adequately addressed by club or union owners. This focus on security helps maintain the integrity of the game on the platform.