"Get Your Limit Poker Game Out Of The Mud"Limit poker is any poker game where betting increments are set in stone. For example: in a $4-$8 limit game bets and raises before and on the flop are in increments of $4. On the turn and river bets and raises are in increments of $8. So on the turn you could never bet $10 in a $4-$8 limit game only $8. If you want to raise on the turn you’d make it $16 to go. A cap on how many bets each player puts in the pot on any given betting round is also a major part of limit. The cap varies depending on the poker room. It can be anywhere from one bet and three raises to one bet and six raises. Online poker rooms are usually one bet and three raises. One exception is in live games when two players start the betting round heads up. In this situation there is NO CAP on how many bets the two opponents can put in the pot. They can raise and re-raise each other until one player is all-in. This is a VERY RARE event in limit games. The heads up exception doesn’t exist online however. As a general rule any forward motion with chips is a bet. Lets say on the turn in a $4-$8 limit game a player pushes out $5. Everyone knows the bet is $8 on the turn but the player put out $5. In this situation the player would be obligated to make the bet $8, whether they wished to or not. Virtually every poker game can be played as a limit game. They are offered in abundance both in live and online poker rooms. Benefits of playing limit poker versus no-limit or pot limit poker depend on your style of play. Limit is a fairly straight forward structure where “fancy moves”, bluffs and risk taking seldom pay off. If you play tight, solid yet aggressive poker you’ll excel in limit games. Why play limit games tight and solid? The answer is simple: you cant get paid big for taking big risks! Example: your playing $4-$8 limit texas hold-em and your heads up on the turn. You hold 8d-9d and the board is Jc-Qs-7c-2h giving you a gut shot straight draw. Your opponent just bet $8 making the pot a total of $35. The problem is that if you call AND make your straight you’ll make at the most $43 (assuming your opponent bets the river and calls your raise). So your getting 5.375 to 1 on your money and are 12.5 to 1 to make your straight very dismal odds to take the risk. Once in a while odds are in your favor to take risks in limit games but NOT OFTEN ENOUGH. The best time to take risks in limit is when multiple players are in the pot and you KNOW you’ll get paid. Other than those times play a straight forward game. Good luck! |
