No Limit Vs Limit Poker
admin 4/4/2022
Limit poker also enjoys variants that NL poker does not. There is a lot of difference in the way you play 10/20 with structured betting and the way you play 5 to 20. This makes playing limit more diverse then NLHE. These differences were at the root of a general debate about which required more skill limit are no limit. In Fixed Limit poker, there is a set limit to how much one can bet on every street. Some of the strategic differences between Limit Hold’em and NL Hold’em are obvious: in NL Hold’em you can protect a hand very efficiently, in Limit Hold’em you’re pretty much deprived of this option. Limits always are represented clearly - most local joints offer $4/$8, $6/$12 or $10/$20. No-limit poker, on the other hand, never limits what players can bet or raise. Any player can wager any.
Choose Your Poison!
Ever since the events of Black Friday, when a significant portion of the world player pool disappeared overnight, limit Holdem poker and PLO games have dried up considerably.
A lot of the limit variants were American favourites, and with most of the US based players out of the game for the foreseeable future, everybody seemed to gravitate towards NL or PLO. Things didn't die off completely though. A cursory check of the Pokerstars lobby shows that there are still some die hards playing the fixed limit offerings, and if my own experiences are to be trusted then it would appear that there are also plenty of inexperienced players looking to try something new.
What was noticeable though, was that there seems to be as many players sat at 8 Game tables as the rest of the limit tables put together. It may be the case, that if you are up for testing the waters away from the comfort of NL/PLO, and you intend to play a respectable amount of volume, then 8 Game could well be the way to go.
What Differences Can We Expect?
There's a lot of potential for discussion between the no limit poker and limit variations, but lets look at some generally accepted views.
Limit games are often described as more mathematical than their NL/PL counterparts. This can probably be argued either way, but it's probably more accurate to say there is a much lesser psychological undertone to limit games. This fact coupled with fixed bet sizes means the game is much more solvable than NL/PL.
On the subject of being solvable, twelve months ago it was reported that a team of scientists from The University of Alberta had weakly solved the game of limit heads up Holdem to the point where it could never be beaten by a human player.
This has both positive and negative implications.
On the up side we should be happy that after almost two decades of online poker, this is the only news we see in the mainstream about poker being solved. Negatively though, if this truly is the case then in the future we are going to face more and more problems with maintaining the integrity of the game due to increasingly sophisticated 'bots'. No matter what scare stories you might read online we are not at the end of the line just yet. The increase in difficulty between solving heads up limit variations and six to nine handed NL games is huge, so let's not panic just yet.
For casual players who haven't yet chosen which game to specialise in yet, limit Holdem is a fine proving ground for getting to grips with the basics of poker. Concepts such as pot odds and value betting can be easily learned without the worry of massive overbet shoves and the like found in NL. If you find the psychological pressure of NL or PLO too much as a beginner, then fixed limit games might be a sensible suggestion until you improve your skill set.
These skills are transferable to the big bet games so there shouldn't be any worry about wasting time learning something which will be useless in the future.
No Limit Poker Free
There are a few features of the fixed limit scene which many of you will view as less than appealing. If you were to chose a fixed limit path then there is no doubt that as you move up the stakes ladder you will encounter problems with game availability if you are trying to multi table a game other than Holdem. Limit Holdem's popularity is still holding fast, but the other games have dried up somewhat. Action can be found for all the games but the number of tables running is limited. If you are a casual player just looking for fresh excitement though, then there is nothing to worry about. The 8 Game or HORSE tables can solve this problem to some degree, but multi tabling with the possibility of playing eight different games on eight or more different tables, at the same time, sounds like a recipe for disaster to me! These tables do not lend themselves well to the mass grinding mindset.
Fixed limit games might have an uncertain future, but it's not all doom and gloom. There is a lot of fixed limit based material out there, and being as these games haven't undergone the same level of evolution that NL Holdem and PLO has, there is still an enormous amount of scope for getting ahead of the crowd if you are prepared to put the work in.
Another factor which may be important for some players is the variance comparison. NL Holdem is reputed to have less variance than fixed limit, due to the high number of multiway pots which legitimately grow quite large in a limit game. In NL you can expect a lot more heads up pots due to being able to control the size of the pot odds offered to your opponents.
If you're not too keen on Madame Variance and what she gets up to , then I will politely suggest that you don't even open the rule book for PLO!
Maybe you're a player who likes to get on with business and doesn't take too kindly to all the 'Hollywooding' seen in big bet games. Fixed limit is a much faster game with simpler decisions.
If you're a US based player then you will have plenty of fixed limit options in the casino live games. Many of the players seen in these games never transferred over to online poker, and have kept the scene ticking over nicely.
The final distinction I want to make is about the tournament scene. Although the annual pilgrimage to Las Vegas every summer will see some fixed limit tournaments, online it is impossible to play a serious amount of volume from limit alone. Again, I am commenting to grinders who want to be more than just casual players. If you have any ambition in poker today, whether it be cash games or tournaments, the ability to play what many consider an insane number of tournaments, is necessary to complete the learning process. Poker is tough, and all but the extremely talented can not avoid the long road towards mastery. You simply must be putting the hours in.
What For the Future?
It's difficult for me not to be biased in any way. No limit poker is firmly keeping its grip as the Cadillac of poker, with PLO in hot pursuit. Everything else is just a poor relation, sadly. Gone are the days of table after table of fixed limit seven card stud. If your goal was to become a Razz pro, then I'm afraid you're going to be disappointed!
The only way in the near future that fixed limit games will regain their popularity is if mixed games become the latest craze.
This idea isn't so far fetched as we watch the emerging markets in China and India fill out the poker landscape. If different games become more popular in those regions then the old school may follow suit. We will have to wait and see.
For now the big bet games are here to stay, and I for one am happy about it, even if the tables are getting outrageously tough.
More Top Rated Content
No Limit Texas Holdem Vs Limit
Articles
Coaching Videos
Poker No Limit Hold'em
- Man v Machine: Poker Snowie Episode 1