Brandon Mueller Defies the Odds With Historic Pot-Limit Omaha Win
When you sit down to play a Pot-Limit Omaha tournament, you expect a game full of high variance and wild swings. However, nobody could have predicted the sheer statistical anomaly that occurred during the recent Brandon Mueller PLO Championship run. The Pennsylvania native managed to catch pocket aces a staggering 14 times in a single day.
By the end of the event, he had secured his very first live PLO title. He walked away with a massive $24,575 top prize and an unbelievable story to tell. Let’s break down exactly how this historic victory in Atlantic City , at the 2026 Borgata Summer Poker Open unfolded, and why getting that many aces is so special.
The Brandon Mueller PLO Championship Miracle: 14 Pocket Aces
In Pot-Limit Omaha, you are dealt four cards instead of two. Because you receive more cards, pocket aces (AAxx) appear slightly more often than they do in Texas Hold’em. However, getting dealt pocket aces 14 times in a single day of tournament play is incredibly uncommon. Even more shocking, Mueller told reporters he was dealt aces seven times in his first nine hands alone!
The mathematical odds of catching aces that frequently in such a short span are astronomically low. More importantly, winning with pocket aces in a Pot-Limit Omaha tournament is never guaranteed. Because players have four cards, opponents often flop massive flush and straight draws that easily crack high pairs.
Remarkably, Mueller’s aces held up in 13 out of the 14 times he played them. This unbelievable streak of luck gave him an unstoppable chip lead. From there, Mueller used his aggressive strategy and value-betting skills to maintain dominance throughout the rest of the 2026 Borgata Summer Poker Open. By combining good fortune with smart play, he easily secured his very first live PLO title.
Top 10 Best Starting Hands in Pot-Limit Omaha
While Mueller’s run of aces was the defining moment of the Brandon Mueller PLO Championship event, it helps to know which exact hands carry the most pre-flop value. Because players receive four cards in PLO, the strongest starting hands are “double-suited” (having exactly two cards of two different suits).
According to statistical equity data from trusted poker platforms like PokerStars and 888 Poker, double-suited high pairs and connected broadway cards reign supreme. Here are the top ten starting hands in PLO based on statistical preflop equity:
| Rank | Starting Hand (Double-Suited) | Why It’s Powerful |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | A-A-K-K | Maximum top set and nut flush potential. |
| 2 | A-A-J-T | Combines top pair value with massive straight wraps. |
| 3 | A-A-Q-Q | Extremely strong overpairs and straight blockers. |
| 4 | A-A-J-J | High likelihood of flopping dominating sets. |
| 5 | A-A-T-T | Excellent equity against most drawing hands. |
| 6 | A-A-9-9 | Strong set-mining with nut flush capabilities. |
| 7 | A-A-x-x (Any) | Any double-suited aces provide excellent preflop equity. |
| 8 | J-T-9-8 | The best “rundown” hand for flopping massive straight draws. |
| 9 | K-K-Q-Q | Strong second-best pairs with excellent straight connectivity. |
| 10 | K-K-J-J | Solid multi-way value and high blocker power. |
If you are hoping to replicate the success of the Brandon Mueller PLO Championship victory, studying these starting hands is a great first step.
Brandon Mueller’s Poker Journey
Despite holding a massive chip advantage heading into the final table, Mueller still had to navigate a tough heads-up match against runner-up Danny Chang . Chang mounted a brief comeback, but Mueller’s ability to catch bluffs kept him in control. After closing out the tournament with a set of fives on the final hand, an ecstatic Mueller reflected on his unbelievable luck and joked he might just win six more events while he’s at it.
According to the Hendon Mob database, Mueller has had decent results over the years in no-limit Texas Hold’Em tournaments, and he has started to play more PLO recently. This win might encourage him to seek more glory in a more complex game in the future at bigger live events as well.
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Beus Zsoldos is SoMuchPoker's Senior Copywriter and Player Stories Editor, covering WSOP color moments, player profiles and poker personalities for the site's Stories section. She has spent more than 20 years around the game, first as a player, then as a live tournament director and localization manager for a major online poker room, before moving into full time poker writing.
