PLO Solvers didn’t just change the strategy. They changed the soul of the Pot Limit Omaha. Here is why the “Golden Era” of feel players is over, and how beginners can use that to their advantage this year.
If you have been around the poker world lately, you’ve heard the complaints: “Robots ruined the game,” or “Everyone plays like a GTO bot now.”
But what actually happened?
In a new video analysis, Phil Galfond, one of the greatest PLO players of all time and founder of Run It Once and Vision, breaks down exactly how GTO PLO solvers reshaped the poker landscape. It wasn’t just about finding the perfect bluff frequency; it was a fundamental shift in the geometry of betting that killed “old school” poker forever.
📺 Want to watch Phil’s full analysis right now? Scroll to the bottom of this article to see the video.
The Death of “Feel” & The Rise of Statistics
For decades, poker was played on intuition. You bet big when you were strong and small when you were weak (or tricky). It was an art form.
Galfond explains that solvers replaced art with statistics.
The computer showed us that human bet sizing was inefficient. It introduced concepts that felt alien at first but are now standard:
- The “Purposeful Small Bet”: Betting 10% or 20% of the pot to deny equity to random hands.
- The “Normalized Overbet”: Potting in PLO or shoving 2x or 3x the pot in NLHE on the river because your range has a nut advantage.
This shift did two things. First, it attracted a new wave of “Analytical Players”. These are people who treat poker like a math problem rather than a street fight. Second, it pushed many recreational “Feel Players” into private games because they hated feeling like they were taking a math test every hand.
The Elite Paradox: Interestingly, Galfond notes that solvers actually created more action at the highest levels. When two elite pros know the exact GTO calling frequencies, they are forced to bluff more, not less. The result is hyper-aggressive warfare, not a boring stalemate.
Why This Matters for PLO (And Absolute Beginners)
While Phil’s video focuses on general poker concepts, the reality for Pot Limit Omaha (PLO) is even more drastic.
In No-Limit Hold’em, you might be able to survive on “street smarts” for a while. In PLO4, PLO5, and PLO6, the game tree is exponentially more complex.
- The Problem: You cannot “feel” your way through a 3-bet pot in PLO5. The equities run too close together. If you are guessing, you are losing.
- The Beginner’s Edge: This is actually good news for new players.
In the old days, you needed 10 years of experience to learn how to play well. Today, a beginner can use tools to “download” 10 years of strategy in a few months. You don’t need to be a math genius; you just need to see the answers often enough that they become muscle memory.
Quick tipp: Check out the Run It Once PLO courses:
The Shortcut: Run It Once Vision
This is where the PLO training site Run It Once comes in.
Phil Galfond didn’t just identify the problem; he built the solution. Run It Once Vision is the premier GTO Trainer for PLO.
It takes the complex, scary outputs of a PLO solver and turns them into simple, visual drills. It’s like a flight simulator for poker.
- Don’t know if you should check-raise this flop? Vision shows you the frequency instantly.
- Confused by turn cards? Vision highlights which cards help your range and which kill it.
Whether you are grinding micro-stakes or shot-taking at high stakes, using Vision is the difference between playing 2010 poker and playing 2026 poker.
Save 10% with code PLO365
💰 Exclusive Deal: Save 10% on Your Edge
You can’t stop the PLO solver era, but you can profit from it.
We have partnered with Run It Once to get PLO365 readers an exclusive discount on all training plans, including Vision.
How to Claim:
- Click the link below.
- Use code PLO365 at checkout.
- Save 10% on your first month or annual subscription.
🚀 Save 10% on Run It Once Vision
Save 10% with code PLO365
📺 Watch: How GTO Solvers Changed Poker
Here is the full clip from Phil Galfond.
Save 10% with code PLO365
With over 12 years of Omaha Poker experience, Lebi is the Head of Content at PLO365. A dedicated PLO specialist, he bridges the gap between complex GTO theory and practical street poker. He leads our review team, stress-testing PLO solvers, HUDs, and training courses to ensure they meet the demands of the modern grinder. When he isn’t auditing poker room RNGs or writing strategy guides, you can find him grinding mid-stakes PLO cash games and Turbo MTTs.
