This Is PLO Review: Is Phil Galfond’s $2,500 Masterpiece Worth It?

There are Pot Limit Omaha courses, and then there is The Course.

If you have spent any time in the Pot Limit Omaha streets, you know the name Phil Galfond. He is not just a coach. He is a true legend of the game and widely recognized as one of the most accomplished PLO players and among the greatest minds to ever play the game.

Now, he offers to transfer his brain into yours.

The Pot Limit Omaha course “This Is PLO” is Run It Once‘s flagship product, created directly by Phil Galfond. It promises to save you 500 hours of PLO solver study by teaching you not just what to do, but exactly how to think like a high-stakes pro.

But let’s be real: $2,499.99 is a massive price tag. You could buy a used car for that. You could fund a healthy starter bankroll for that. So, is this Pot Limit Omaha course the “End Boss” training you need to skyrocket your career, or is it just an overpriced vanity project?

I’ve analyzed the 183 videos and 73+ hours of content to give you the honest truth. Here is my review of the This Is PLO course.

What Actually Is “This Is PLO”?

This is not a “quick fix” guide. It is an encyclopedia.

The Specs:

• Format: 183 Videos (73+ Hours), with many videos covering every aspect of PLO strategy.
• Number of Lessons: 183, providing a comprehensive solver learning experience.
• **Instructor:**Phil Galfond (with a 6-max cameo by Richard Gryko).
• Goal: To teach you “first principles” thinking so you never have to memorize a chart again.
• Tools Used: MonkerSolver, Vision GTO Trainer, and Phil’s brain.
• Created: Carefully created by Phil Galfond to be the most thorough PLO guide available.

Unlike other Pot Limit Omaha courses that give you rigid rules (“Always 3-bet Aces”), This Is PLO focuses on the why. Phil deconstructs the game tree to show you the mechanics of board coverage, range interaction, and EV maximization. The course helps you learn poker theory and understand how to apply advanced poker theory concepts in real hands. It is designed to make you self-sufficient, so you can beat games that get tougher every day.

You’ll use PLO solvers as a study tool, but the course teaches you to play without relying on solver outputs or charts during actual gameplay.

By the end, you’ll focus on the most important strategic concepts and incorporate them into your play for lasting improvement.

Why Learn from Phil Galfond?

You can buy PLO courses from plenty of winning players. But Phil is different.

1. The “Why” Factor: Most solvers (like Monker) spit out data that is impossible for a human to memorize. Phil has a unique gift for looking at a complex solver output and, through his reasoning process, translating it into a simple heuristic (rule of thumb) you can use in real-time. His ability to read hands and understand opponents, combined with his extensive experience with solvers and poker theory, enhances his teaching and helps you develop these crucial skills.
2. The Galfond Challenge Footage: This PLO course includes session reviews from his high-stakes battles against legends like VeniVidi1993, ActionFreak, and Chance Kornuth. These videos are highly effective in showing key concepts and improving your skills. Watching Phil analyze his own play against the toughest opponents in the world is arguably the most valuable Pot Limit Omaha course content in existence. You see him make hero calls, hero folds, and adjustments in the heat of battle.

The Elephant in the Room: Heads-Up vs. 6-Max

Let’s address the biggest objection straight away: “Most of this Pot Limit Omaha course is based on Heads-Up (HU) play. I play 6-max. Is this useless for me?”

The Answer: Absolutely not. In fact, studying HU is the best way to crush 6-max.

Here is why:

• Wider Ranges: In HU, you play almost every hand. This forces you to learn how to play weak ranges and marginal spots perfectly, and to handle a wide variety of situations that regularly come up in both formats.
• Deep Theory: 6-max is just a subset of HU interactions (Button vs. Big Blind is essentially a HU match). If you can master the wide, difficult ranges of HU, the tighter ranges of 6-max feel like playing on “easy mode.”

Plus, the training site Run It Once didn’t ignore you. Segment 7 is entirely dedicated to 6-max, taught by high-stakes coach Richard Gryko, translating Phil’s concepts specifically for ring game situations. The course helps you find solutions to complex scenarios by breaking down the most important spots you’ll encounter.

The Curriculum: A Complete Tour of the Game Tree

The Pot Limit Omaha course is divided into 7 massive segments, each structured as focused lessons that target specific strategic areas and gameplay scenarios. Here is what you get for your money: the most comprehensive guide to the Pot Limit Omaha game, including in-depth instruction on dynamic boards and their strategic importance, as well as other essential board textures. This course is a worthwhile investment for players at any skill level, providing value and actionable insights to help you improve and gain an edge.

Segment 1: Theory & Foundations

This is the bedrock. Phil teaches you how to “Think Like a Solver,” helping you learn poker theory and develop strong reasoning skills for every decision at the table.

• Advanced EV Explorations Gameplan: Understanding where your win rate actually comes from using core poker theory concepts.
• Study Efficiently: How to use solvers without wasting hundreds of hours staring at irrelevant data. You’ll need to put in the work and spend focused time reviewing and practicing the material to truly master these concepts. This section alone saves serious players years of trial and error.

Segment 2: Single Raised Pots (SRP)

The most frequent spot in PLO.

• Board Coverage: Deep dives into how ranges interact on different textures, including dynamic boards. Understanding dynamic boards is crucial for adapting your overall strategy to different situations you’ll face at the table.
• Delay C-Betting: A masterclass on checking back the flop to attack the turn (a Phil Galfond specialty).
• Turn Probing: When to stab at the pot when the opponent shows weakness.

This segment teaches you the skills needed to navigate these spots and make better decisions in a variety of situations.

Segment 3: 3-Bet Pots

Where the stacks get shallow and the decisions get expensive.

• Value Thresholds: Learning exactly what hand strength you need to stack off on various runouts, especially when decisions are close and you’re playing oop (out of position).
• Bluff Selection: How to choose the perfect blockers to blast with in bloated pots.
• Float Betting: How to defend against aggression and take the pot away later.

In this segment, we break down how to analyze close spots in 3-bet pots, giving you the tools to make precise decisions under pressure.

Segment 4: 4-Bet Pots

The highest variance spots in the game.

• Trapping vs. Protecting: When to just call with Aces to trap, and when to jam to deny equity.
• Navigating “Check-Check” Lines: How to play turns and rivers when the flop goes check-check in a massive pot, using sound reasoning to justify each action.

In summary: To thrive in these high-variance 4-bet pots, incorporate advanced concepts and solver-driven insights into your strategy, ensuring your decisions are grounded in solid reasoning and adaptable to real-game dynamics.

Segment 5: Hand Reading

The “Human” element that solvers can’t teach.

• Hero Calls & Folds: Phil breaks down his thought process for making soul reads, emphasizing the ability to read hands and the skills required to make high-level decisions in real time.
• Exploit Theory: Analyzing spots where the population is “over-bluffing” or “under-bluffing” and how to deviate from GTO to print money.

In summary, developing your hand reading skills and gaining experience with different player types will significantly enhance your ability to exploit opponents and make better decisions at the table.

Segment 6: Challenge Footage Review

• VeniVidi & ActionFreak: Reviewing sessions against the best online players in history, showing how adjustments are made in real time.
• Adjustments: Seeing how Phil changed his strategy mid-match to turn losing sessions into winning ones, which helps develop your skills and reasoning for future hands.

Segment 7: 6-Max Specifics

Richard Gryko steps in to ensure ring-game players have a direct roadmap.

• Multiway Pots: How to adjust your c-betting and ranges when there are 3+ players (a huge part of live and low-stakes PLO). These concepts directly translate to live play, so you can confidently apply online strategies in live PLO games.
• 6-Max SRP & 3-Bet: Specific adjustments for the tighter positions (UTG/MP).

In summary, you’ll learn how to translate proven online strategies to live settings, making your game stronger whether you’re grinding online or playing live PLO.

Is This Pot Limit Omaha Course Too Advanced for You?

This Is PLO is an investment product.

✅ Buy It If:

• You are an Aspiring Pro: You want to make online poker your career (or a serious side income) and are ready to put in the work and passion needed to succeed.
• You are playing mid stakes: You are beating PLO100/200 but hitting a wall against tough regs and want to improve your edge.
• You are a Motivated Low-Stakes Player: You have the budget and want to fast-track your learning by skipping the “beginner” fluff.

❌ Skip It If:

• You are a Total Beginner: If you don’t know what “range advantage” means, start with the Foundations or From The Ground Up Course. This will go over your head.
• You are a Casual Player: If you just want to gamble on Friday nights, $2,500 is better spent on buy-ins. However, if you want to improve and get real value, this course is worthwhile at any level.

Price vs. Value: The ROI Calculation

Let’s do the math on the $2,499.99 price. ($2,250 with code PLO365)

• Coaching Equivalent: A coach of Phil’s caliber (if you could even hire him) would cost $1,000+ per hour. This is arguably the best PLO course and gives you 73 hours of his best teaching. The coaching sessions would cost $73,000, or you can pay only $34/hour for this Pot Limit Omaha course.
• Win Rate Equivalent: If you play PLO100 ($1/$2) and this poker course helps you improve your winrate by just 2 bb/100, it pays for itself in no time. After that, the knowledge is pure profit forever.

Understanding these key concepts is what really matters for long-term success in PLO. This course is designed to help you improve your skills, boost your winrate, and approach the game with the strategic edge needed to thrive.

Conclusion & Verdict

Phil Galfond’s This Is PLO is the encyclopedia of Pot Limit Omaha. It is likely the last Pot Limit Omaha course you will ever need to buy.

Phil Galfond doesn’t just give you fish; he teaches you how to design the fishing rod, analyze the ocean, and predict the weather. It is dense, challenging, and utterly brilliant.

If you are serious about mastering Omaha Poker, this isn’t an expense. It’s the tool that builds your career and helps sharpen your decision-making at every level.

Ready to learn from the best?

• The Ultimate Authority: Taught by Phil Galfond, arguably the best teacher of all time.
• Solver + Human: Bridges the gap between GTO data (Vision GTO Trainer & Monker Solver) and human execution (Hand Reading).
• Deepest Curriculum: Covers every node of the game tree: SRP, 3-Bet, 4-Bet, and Deep Stack play.
• Galfond Challenge Access: Exclusive breakdowns of high-stakes matches against the world’s elite.
• A one-time purchase that you own forever. This is a worthwhile investment for any player looking to improve, regardless of your current skill level or stakes.

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