The Nut Game
The #1 rule of PLO: always draw to the nuts. Second-best loses stacks.
THE #1 RULE OF PLO
In Hold'em, top pair is often good enough. In PLO, second-best is a disaster. With 4 cards per player, someone almost always has the nuts. Always ask: "What is the best possible hand here?" and "Do I have it?"
1. Non-Nut Flushes
Death trap. If the A of the suit is out there, someone has it. Q-high flush = stack-losing hand.
2. Second-Nut Straight
One notch below the nuts = recipe for losing 100bb. If a higher straight exists, proceed with extreme caution.
3. Sets Need Redraws
A set on a connected board with no flush or straight redraws is vulnerable. You need outs to a full house or better.
4. Identify What Beats You
Before committing chips, always figure out what hand is the absolute nuts and whether someone can realistically have it.
#1
IDENTIFY THE NUTS
BOARD