PLO starting hands: the top 20, by the numbers
In Pot-Limit Omaha you get four hole cards and must use exactly two of them, plus three from the board. Four cards means far more starting hands than Hold'em and much smaller edges. Suits and how well your cards work together matter as much as how high they are. Here are the 20 strongest PLO starting hands and how often each one wins.
Numbers from the Preflop Edge Monte Carlo simulation set · all-in preflop equity, rounded to the nearest whole percent.
The top 20 starting hands
| # | Hand | vs 1 opponent | vs 5 opponents |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AATTdsdouble-suited | 72% | 34% |
| 2 | AAJJdsdouble-suited | 71% | 34% |
| 3 | AA44dsdouble-suited | 71% | 32% |
| 4 | AAT9dsdouble-suited | 71% | 31% |
| 5 | AAJTdsdouble-suited | 71% | 32% |
| 6 | AAQJdsdouble-suited | 71% | 32% |
| 7 | AAQQdsdouble-suited | 71% | 34% |
| 8 | AA88dsdouble-suited | 71% | 32% |
| 9 | AA55dsdouble-suited | 71% | 32% |
| 10 | AAKKdsdouble-suited | 70% | 35% |
| 11 | AAT7dsdouble-suited | 70% | 30% |
| 12 | AAT8dsdouble-suited | 70% | 31% |
| 13 | AA99dsdouble-suited | 70% | 32% |
| 14 | AA66dsdouble-suited | 70% | 31% |
| 15 | AA65dsdouble-suited | 70% | 30% |
| 16 | AA77dsdouble-suited | 70% | 31% |
| 17 | AA76dsdouble-suited | 70% | 29% |
| 18 | AAQTdsdouble-suited | 70% | 32% |
| 19 | AA87dsdouble-suited | 70% | 30% |
| 20 | AA85dsdouble-suited | 70% | 30% |
Hands are written as four ranks plus a suit pattern. ds = double-suited (two of one suit, two of another, e.g. A♠T♠ A♥T♥). Win % = how often the hand wins all-in preflop against random hands (ties split). “vs 5 opponents” is a full six-max table.
Even the best hand is barely ahead
The strongest hand in our PLO data wins about 72% against one random hand. The 20th wins about 70%, so the whole top 20 sits within three percentage points. Compare Hold'em, where pocket aces win about 85% heads-up (see AA). With four cards each, your opponent almost always has something to draw to. Preflop edges are small; most of the money is won on later streets.
Every top-20 hand is aces, double-suited
All 20 hands on this list hold a pair of aces with two flush draws. Paired aces give you the top set and the nut flush draw. Double suits give you two ways to make that flush. The two side cards decide the order. A second pair or cards that connect with each other add straights and sets, which is why AATT, AAJJ and AAT9 rank near the top. For how hands are built and named, see our PLO starting hands guide.
The order changes at a full table
Heads-up, AAKK double-suited is only 10th on this list. Against five opponents it moves to 1st, at about 35%. AAQQds climbs from 7th to 3rd. With more players in the pot, the hand that wins usually has to be very strong, and two high pairs with two nut-flush draws get there more often. Hands built on connected side cards go the other way: AAT9ds drops from 4th to 13th, and AA76ds from 17th to last. Sorting by heads-up equity alone gets PLO wrong. Check the table size first.
Get every PLO hand class, against 1 to 8 opponents
- Every PLO hand class: rainbow, single-suited and double-suited
- Searchable hand list, range explorer and PLO cheat sheet
- Built from the same Monte Carlo simulation set as this page
Keep reading
FAQ
What is the best starting hand in PLO?
Double-suited aces. AA with a second pair or connected side cards, two of each suit, tops the list. In our simulations AATT double-suited wins about 72% against one random hand. Against five opponents AAKK double-suited is best, at about 35%.
What does “ds” mean in PLO hands?
Double-suited: your four cards are two of one suit and two of another, e.g. A♠K♠ A♥K♥. That gives you two flush draws. “ss” means single-suited, “r” means rainbow (four different suits).
How much does the best PLO hand win preflop?
Much less than in Hold'em. The very best PLO hand wins about 72% heads-up, while pocket aces in Hold'em win about 85%. With four cards each, both players nearly always have something to draw to.