Limit poker is based on math; No-Limit is based on psychology with a knowledge of implied odds. So, where does pot limit poker fall? Somewhere in the middle, and that strategy shifts quite a bit in the mushy middle depending on where you are in relation to the button and the like.
By forcing other players at the table to bet at or below the amount of the pot, you reduce the percentage of implied odds but still give yourself a reduction of straight pot odds as well. pot limit Omaha poker’s dynamics, overall, place it a bit closer to no-limit. As an example, if you’re betting into multiple players on the turn in a limit game, it’s just plain impossible to not give the opponents overwhelming pot odds.
If four players all see the turn, with only one person betting and the other three players calling the whole way, a bet on the turn will give your opponents 5-1 odds. (In a $2/$4 Limit game there would be $16 in the pot + $4 bet, for $20-$4 odds.) That’s a no brainer. And if any raises have been made as the game continues, it’s very common to see 10:1 or greater odds in a Limit game.
In a No-Limit game of the same blinds, it would be possible to bet your entire stack into a $16 pot, giving odds of $216-$200 – barely more than 1-1. This is why No-Limit is considered an implied odds game versus being a straight pot odds game and small bets can make a much bigger difference in pot limit poker.
Just as the similarities between Pot Limit and No-Limit are a big part of player strategy in the game, there’s also a big part of Limit betting that’s involved in Pot Limit: pot control. The real money in poker is made when you allow your opponents make mistakes and capitalize on them. If your opponents are making pot-odds mistakes, you want to be sure not to give them the implied odds to compensate.
It’s important to remember that anytime you make a pot-sized bet in Pot-Limit, your opponent has the option to repot. If pot control is your concern, meaning you are not in a hand worth playing a very large pot for, allowing your opponent to bet eight times or more the amount of the preflop pot is the exact opposite of your intended goal.
Finally, always remember: even though the odds may not change, any bet you make can allow your opponent to charge you double or more in return. Taking the time to learn how to read implied odds and pot odds can make pot limit Omaha poker games just as profitable as no-limit games.