Play like a Solver: Defending the Big Blind in PLO

The fundamental question of cash game strategy in PLO is how to defend one's blinds. Several years ago, miniraises were popular in PLO, and regulars defended the big blind almost 100% of the time. The strategy for defending the big blind in PLO has changed radically with the introduction of solvers.

The article offers 20 situations where players must choose between folding, calling, or 3-betting plus the bank. The test allows players to track how much their actions deviate from the optimal lines of the solver, assuming postflop play is perfect.

The game setup is a 6-max Pot-Limit Omaha with a rake structure identical to Zoom PL50 on PokerStars, and an effective stack of 100 BB.