PLO Hand Rankings & the "Use Exactly Two" Rule
Last updated June 19, 2026 · ~5 min read
Pot-Limit Omaha uses the same five-card hand rankings as Texas Hold'em — but with one rule that trips up almost every newcomer: you must use exactly two of your hole cards and exactly three of the board cards. Get that rule wrong and you will misread your hand at the table.
The hand rankings (high to low)
| # | Hand | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Straight Flush | 9♥ 8♥ 7♥ 6♥ 5♥ |
| 2 | Four of a Kind (Quads) | Q Q Q Q + kicker |
| 3 | Full House | K K K + 7 7 |
| 4 | Flush | five of one suit |
| 5 | Straight | T 9 8 7 6 |
| 6 | Three of a Kind (Set/Trips) | 8 8 8 + 2 kickers |
| 7 | Two Pair | A A + 9 9 + kicker |
| 8 | One Pair | J J + 3 kickers |
| 9 | High Card | no made hand |
The rule that changes everything
In Omaha you are dealt four cards (PLO4) or five cards (PLO5), but your final hand is always made of exactly two hole cards + exactly three board cards. You cannot use one, you cannot use three, and you cannot "play the board" with fewer than two of your own cards.
Example — no flush even with the Ace
Board: K♠ 9♠ 4♠ 2♦ 7♣. Your hand: A♠ Q♥ J♥ 5♦ (PLO4).
It looks like a nut flush — you hold the A♠ and there are three spades on board. But you
only have one spade in hand, and you must use two. You do not have a
flush. Your best hand is just Ace-high.
Example — a full house (and why you need a pair in hand)
Board: K♠ K♥ 9♣ 9♦ 2♠. Your hand: 9♥ 9♠ A♦ Q♣ (PLO4).
Use your two nines as the two hole cards, then take 9♣ K♠ K♥ from the board:
9♥ 9♠ 9♣ + K♠ K♥ = nines full of kings. Note you could not make
"kings full" here — that would need three kings, but you'd have to use a board card plus only
one king from hand, leaving no second hole card to pair. The exactly-two rule is what makes the
difference.
Why this makes Omaha a "nut" game
Because everyone has more cards, made hands are stronger and more frequent. Second-best flushes, non-nut straights, and small full houses lose far more often than in Hold'em. This is why good Omaha players prize the nut versions of hands and why hand selection preflop matters so much.
Want to see how often a holding actually wins against ranges? Use the PLO equity calculator, or read the preflop strategy guide to learn which starting hands carry real nut potential.