Ex Poker Pro

I would think of Limit Holdem like a Cadillac and No Limit Holdem like a Porsche. No actually that’s not a great example but it’s the only one I thought of in the first few seconds of this blog. Anyway, in NL Holdem players at any time can make a full bluff with a big or sometimes small bet. But they can decide at any time to bluff at the hand. In limit hold’em a player must usually decide if he/she is going to bluff at least one street before they make the real bluff. To get away with a real bluff you have to play the full part of the hand you are trying to portray. If you want them to think you have AA you should re-raise preflop and on the flop if possible. If you want them to think you flopped trip 4’s, then you need to have just limped preflop, check the flop and smooth call any bets, and raise the turn. My Point is, there is more Art in a Limit bluff then in a NL bluff. Now I am not going to say that you cant put art into a No limit bluff, but you don’t always need it to be successful.

Another reason for liking limit holdem is that its very hard to lose all your chips if you play perfectly. I have played in many a nl tournament and got it all in with the best hand only to lose to a two outs and been down to the felt.

I also I like Limit Texas Holdem more is because you need to keep players in longer if you want to get paid off. In no limit texas holdem some times the best way to get all their money is to go all in preflop or on the flop.

I know many players say that in no limit you can protect your hands. I think that’s just bullshit. You cant protect your hands any better in NL then you can in limit. People are still going to call all their chips with draws and get there, maybe less often, but you’ll lose more when they do.

I also find that nobody really knows how to play limit holdem any more. it’s a very different game then no limit and the hands you should play are different as well. Everyone learns how to play N L because of TV. People also say you cant win enough in limit, to that I say just move up in limits, eventually you’ll get to a limit that you are happy with a win. I would call no limit dummies poker, except for the fact that you have to be extremely good to be a great NL Player. So that would be uncalled for. What im trying to say is that people who have never played before can just go all in all the time and until they get caught by a great hand they will do well. They don’t need to make any reads on other players just bet a lot. People just call you down if you do that in a fixed game. You may win, but you will need the best hand to win.

Now I know this cant be the feeling of most people out there, so I would like to hear from some NL players.