Is No Limit Easier Than Limit Holdem?

If you ask poker professionals which of the Texas Hold’em disciplines is the easiest game to learn out of No Limit Hold ‘em and Limit Holdem do not be surprised if the debates gets a little heated! Limit was the game of choice for many years prior to the poker boom where the public fell in love with No Limit Hold’em in 2003 and because of the very limited coverage of Limit Hold’em on television it has fallen behind by some considerable distance to No Limit Hold’em and participation levels live and online reflect this.

More traditional poker players still have a special place in their heart for Limit Hold’em and there are still high stakes games happening right now online. Limit Hold’em poker has set blinds and poker betting limits which dictates exactly what you can call with and exactly what you must raise to. This removes from the game bet sizing considerations. But does this make it easier?

Rather than one game being easier than another it is obvious that there is far more advice available on No Limit Holdem than there is on Limit Hold ‘em. More people play No Limit, so obviously demand ensures that information supply is higher for this game to cater for the needs and wishes of the large player pool. We are not likely to see a poker room dedicated to one discipline over the other and like many poker rooms and websites we recommend that players enjoy the full range of pokers delights by playing games like Omaha Poker, Stud, Razz and the other games available.

Limit Poker is actually a very swingy game. The variance is down to the fact that most hands offer opponents pot odds to continue due to the fixed bet sizes and many times your opponent will hit the card they need so often to beat you, you cannot help feeling you have upset a higher power or committed an evil deed the Universe is intent on punishing you for. For a No Limit player crossing to Limit, this type of variance may come as a surprise. They are used to making bets that do not allow for players drawing to beat them (unless they do so in error thus making the situation +EV). In Limit you cannot bet your opponents from a hand so knowing about hand strengths in relation to the flop is very important. As with all types of poker, the important facets of each game do help an overall understanding of the general theory of poker.

Bluffing is far harder to do in Limit. You must be able to make an opponent fold when they are getting odds, so finding a good player to bluff is essential. Far too many players call all the way to the river regardless of your bluff attempts, so the ability to bluff requires real skill and accurate player observation during a Limit session. The ability to simply make a big bet is enough to chase away even mediocre players at No Limit. Learning limit poker will help you gain an understanding of showdown value and value betting as the game is all about earning those extra few bets, rather than having the edge in a big pot situation common in No Limit.

For a good player of one of the variations of poker learning the other will hold numerous obstacles. If you are good at the deceptive parts of No Limit like bluffing or semi-bluffing then playing your hands more straightforwardly when playing Limit is likely to take some time to master. Similarly, you need to be able to bluff when playing No Limit so the Limit player’s tightness and straightforward play needs to be loosened up and speculative but well calculated plays introduced. Both forms of Texas Hold ‘em are beatable, but both are difficult to master and it depends on your own style which is the best game for you to play.

By Malcolm Clarke

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Tags: hold'em, limit, no limit, Texas Holdem