Playing Cash Poker Games Online, Making the Transition from Play Money

If you are a tight-aggressive
poker player, you need to
consider playing No Limit
Holdem if you aren't already.
With proper play, not only can
you expect to increase your
hourly win rate, but you can
make it much more difficult for
your opponents to draw out on
you on the river.

Why No-Limit Poker is
Better Than Limit

Online Poker News Articles, Texas Holdem Poker Strategy, Poker
Professionals, WPT and WSOP News Articles

Why No-Limit Poker is Better Than Limit

By: Joshua Heilpern

If you are a tight-aggressive player, you need to consider playing No-Limit
Hold 'em if you aren't already. With proper play, not only can you expect to
increase your hourly win rate, but you can make it much more difficult for
your opponents to draw out on you.

First of all, let's explain the fundamental differences between Limit and
No-Limit. In Limit Hold 'em, you can only raise the amount of the big blind
and most cardrooms and online poker rooms will cap the betting at 3
raises. In No-Limit Hold 'em, the only betting rule is that the minimum be at
least the size of the big blind. You can bet your whole stack if you want to.

Sure, it takes more knowledge, experience, and courage to play No-Limit
(NL) well, but it will pay off for you if you play it right.

To get you started, the standard raise in NL is 3-4 times the big blind. After
the flop, a good bet to make when you have a strong hand is about the
size of the pot. If you're looking for information on the flop, you might
consider a bet of 1/3 to 1/2 the size of the pot. You also might consider
making only a small bet if you're holding a monster hand and want to get
called. Or you could always check-raise in that situation. Also be aware
that the value of drawing hands that play well in limit games like K-J suited
goes way down in NL play. Better hands to have are big pocket pairs or
suited connectors.

So, why is it better to play NL? Simple: It's much easier to make a lot more
money. Playing NL, you can afford to play only your strong hands. For
example, in a two hour poker session you can play only one good hand
and still make good money. You can more than double your stack on any
given hand. In Limit poker, you have to constantly be winning pots to come
out ahead. The blinds come around too quickly to sit on your hands. You
have to work hard, play for a long time, and play your best game at all
times to make good money at Limit poker.

Think about this: Most good poker authors will tell you that a good Limit
player can expect to make about one big blind per hour. So, in other
words, you can expect to make $10 an hour at a Limit $5/10 game if you
play it right. On the other hand, if you buy-in for $500 at a $5/10 NL
game, go all-in on your first hand with pocket Aces, get called by one
opponent with pocket Kings and he doesn't improve, you've just won
another $500 without breaking a sweat. That's an average of 50 hours of
Limit gameplay.

Also, you can make your drawing opponents always go against the odds.
In NL, you control the pot odds that your opponent is getting. If you see
two suited or connecting cards on the board, betting the size of the pot
into one opponent will make them go against the odds to draw. Sure,
they're still going to hit their draws occasionally, but at least you made it a
bad play for them to do so.

It takes the right personality to play at NL games. You can't be timid, and
you have to know how much to bet at the right times. If you can't do that,
then stick to Limit poker for now and come back to try NL if and when the
time is right.

As a Limit player who converted to NL, I can tell you that it isn't too difficult
to adapt your game. I can also tell you that after I learned to play NL, I
never sat down at another Limit table. You can also tell you that after I
learned to play NL, I never sat down at another Limit table.

About the author:
Joshua Heilpern is a contributor for several poker strategy websites. He
also runs Beat The Fish - http://www.beatthefish.com- an original poker
strategy and review site.

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