How Often Do Aces Win in Omaha?

In Texas Hold'em, pocket aces win about 85% of the time against a random hand. Players who move to Pot-Limit Omaha often expect something similar from aces with two other cards. They don't get it. Here is how often aces actually win in PLO and PLO5, calculated exactly with Handsight's equity engine.

Aces Against a Random Hand

The best possible Omaha hand has about 15 points less equity than plain aces in Hold'em. Aces with unconnected, unsuited side cards drop to around 61%, and in PLO5 to under 57%.

Aces Against Strong Hands

Why Aces Lose Value in Omaha

• Everyone has more cards. With four or five hole cards, opponents make straights, flushes and two pair far more often, so one pair rarely holds up.
• You must use exactly two hole cards. Your two aces are one of six two-card combinations in PLO. If the other cards don't work together, most of the hand is dead weight.
• Rundowns hit boards that aces miss. A double-suited rundown such as JT98 has straight and flush draws on most flops, which is why bare aces are close to a coin flip against it.

What to Take From This

• Value aces by their side cards: double-suited, connected AAKK has about 9 points more equity than rainbow AA72.
• Bare aces against a good rundown are about 52/48, not a big favourite.
• Against another aces hand, the second pair barely matters: AAKK vs AAQQ is 51/49.
• In a three-way pot against two good hands, even AAKK double-suited has under 50% equity.

All matchups, including flop spots, are in the PLO equity table and the PLO5 equity table. To check your own hands, Handsight reads them from a photo of the table; see the Omaha odds calculator app.