One of the trickier aspects of Pot Limit Omaha is understanding how to calculate raise sizes correctly. Unlike No Limit Hold’em, where you can bet any amount up to your total stack, PLO has a specific mathematical cap — you can only raise up to the size of the pot.
Let’s break down how this calculation actually works, using both an example and the general formula.
🔹 The General Formula
To calculate a raise size in Pot Limit Omaha, you can use the following formula:
👉 (POT+BET×2)×FRACTION_OF_THE_POT_RAISE+BET
where:
POT = the current pot size before your opponent’s bet
BET = your opponent’s bet
FRACTION_OF_THE_POT_RAISE = how much of the pot you want to raise (e.g., 0.33 for a one-third pot raise, 1 for a pot-size raise)
🔹 Example: Heads-Up Spot in PLO
Let’s use a specific example to see how this plays out in practice.
Your opponent bets 14.95 into a 29.9 pot.
You want to make a 33% pot raise.
👉 (29.9+14.95×2)×0.33+14.95=34.68
Here’s what’s happening step-by-step:
(29.9 + 14.95 × 2) = 59.8 → the total pot after you call the bet.
59.8 × 0.33 = 19.73 → your raise amount (33% of the pot).
19.73 + 14.95 = 34.68 → the total amount you’ll bet (including your call).
So, your total bet on the table is 34.68.
🔹 Pot-Size Raise Example
If you instead want to raise the full pot, you simply replace the 0.33 with 1:
👉 (29.9+14.95×2)×1+14.95=74.75
That means the maximum raise (a pot-size raise) in this spot is 74.75.
💡 Key Takeaway
In Pot Limit Omaha, the key idea is that the maximum raise is based on the total pot after your call — not just the pot before your opponent’s bet. Once you understand that, calculating any raise size (⅓ pot, ½ pot, or pot) becomes much more intuitive.
