You’ve heard pot-limit Omaha described as a “drawing game,” a reference to the fact that because players are dealt four hole cards (as opposed to just two hole cards in Texas hold’em), there are so many more opportunities available to draw to straights, flushes, and other “made” hands when those community cards start coming out. Indeed, in many cases it is correct for players flopping big straight and/or flush draws to play them aggressively, since they will often be favorites over flopped made hands like sets or two pair.
But what are “redraws”? And why are they so important in pot-limit Omaha?
To define the term, a “redraw” refers to the situation in which a player has made a hand, but has the possibility of improving to a better hand. In other words, the player has completed one draw, but now is in a position to redraw to an even better five-card poker hand should the right card come on a subsequent street.
A common example of a redraw in PLO would be the player who flops a straight, but has also flopped a flush draw. Say you have Qc-Jc-10d-8d (a nice starting hand in PLO, by the way), and the flop comes 10c-9s-7c. This is a super flop for you, because not only have you flopped the best possible straight, or the “current nuts,” but you also have a redraw to a flush. In fact, if you look at the hand closely you’ll notice you additionally have a redraw to a higher straight. You currently have a jack-high straight, but if an eight were to fall you’d improve to a queen-high straight. And if a king popped out, then you’d have a king-high straight.
Having flopped a made hand with so many redraws is an enviable spot in PLO. You will want to play this hand aggressively, and hopefully someone will come along for the ride. Chances are good that if you are called it will be by a player who also has flopped the current nut straight, but who does not have all of the redraws you have. Say a player holding Jh-8h-3d-2c (a lousy PLO starter) decides to call you down. No matter what cards come on the turn and river, that player is essentially playing only to split the pot, while you have an excellent chance of scooping the whole pot should you hit one of your redraws. In fact, in this particular situation you have about a 57% chance of hitting one of your many outs and scooping, and a 43% chance of tying for the pot.
You are “freerolling,” as we say, thanks to your redraws. Always be on the lookout for possible redraws on the flop or turn, either for yourself or for others. And try not to get in the situation of finding yourself putting chips in the middle hoping only to get those same chips back when you ultimately split the pot.
