Learning No-Limit From Scratch ­- Limit vs. No-Limit Hold’em; Some Observations

No-limit poker was virtually dead before the dawn of the Internet poker industry; limit, mostly stud and limit hold’em, had taken over as the poker game of choice in the middle 70’s. Now, no-limit is back, and it’s the core game almost everywhere.
So I recently decided I’m overdue to master no-limit. Many of my current limit poker skills are transferable, but others are not. No-limit plays very differently, requiring different thought processes and skillsets. It’s been more of a challenge than I thought it would be. That said, after several hundred hours of play, lots of study and great coaching, I now feel it’s coming together.
One difference I’ve found is that the no-limit games have fewer experienced players with an overall weaker knowledge of the game than limit players at the same financial level. Generally speaking, the expertise of $20-$40 limit hold’em players is higher than $2-$5 no-limit players. That’s because almost all of poker’s new blood enters through no-limit. New poker jurisdictions, like Florida, spread hardly any limit games, and most of the poker marketing, tournaments and TV are all geared towards no-limit. Much of the limit action these days is a bunch of old-timers who played the game before no-limit’s resurrection.

It’s much trickier to exploit players who are too tight in no-limit; the blinds just aren’t big enough. In limit, with the much larger blind structure, players who play too tightly pay a high price against aggressive players. In no-limit, too tight players give up equity to those who play correctly, but the lost-cost from the blinds is minimal. Players who are too tight in no-limit tend to lose equity more from not being able to entice weak calls than from being blown off of their blind hands.

Bet sizing is a whole new issue to me. And it’s a difficult concept, one that makes no-limit a much harder game to play. Knowing and adjusting to how your opponents will react to differing bet sizes as well, as being able to adjust the odds you offer, requires a lot of effective knowledge and creates some tough decisions.

Strategizing to “protect” the pot in limit poker is a key component of the game, one that’s often difficult to do. In no-limit, acquiring bets from your opponent is usually more important. That said, I’ve read a lot of no-limit material that states you shouldn’t consider “protecting” the money already in the pot. But that’s wrong! Getting your opponent to fold a high-equity holding and/or stopping an opponent from acquiring correct odds, current or implied, is an important concept you need to take into account in no-limit. The bigger the pot, the larger the stacks, the greater the equity of your opponent’s holding, the greater the loss cost if you get drawn out on, the more you should attempt to fold your opponent’s hand/equity or give him an incorrect price to draw. .

Tilt happens, and I’ve seen a lot of players on tilt in my life, both short-term and long-term. But when it happens at no-limit, it can get real bloody, real quick. Additionally, no-limit requires greater emotional control, as losing your whole stack makes emotional control more demanding. It’s much harder to maintain emotional control in no-limit, and it gets more expensive when you don’t.

Skill sets have different values in no-limit. Reading people is important in both games, but is more vital in no-limit. Computerized frequency calculations have created a new dynamic in poker wisdom, but they are more geared to Internet games, where computer tracking software tracks your opponents’ tendencies with enormous accuracy. In live games, you can see your opponents, feel their emotional swings, sense their fears, perceive their knowledge level, and construct a much better situational read.

While all those components are also true in limit, the value of a read in no-limit takes on a different dimension when you’re facing a large bet. If you’re going to play no-limit live poker well at the low to medium stakes, you must relate to your opponents. Strangely, the higher you go and the better your competition, the less important this becomes, as the players become trickier and harder to read. It’s still important, but the frequency-based analytics grow in significance.

No-limit offers greater opportunities for creative play, and I think makes for a more interesting game. It’s much easier to play an opponent off a pot in no-limit, and when you make or save an extra bet, the value of the play is commonly greater. That being the case, awareness of your opponents’ tendencies has more value in no-limit. So, concentration and recall increase in significance.

Additionally, creating an image and playing differently than that image has more importance in no-limit. Confusing and manipulating your opponents into poor plays can have massive worth.

Implied odds are way more important in no-limit. When the stacks get deep, the propensity for a large score makes assuming risks more correct. It’s not an easy analysis and another concern that points to the need for effective concentration and recall.

Many no-limit players are condescending about limit, feeling the game is a mechanical one. They underestimate the skill sets required to play limit well. Both games require a high degree of knowledge and effective competitive skills. But no-limit has way more critical decisions.

These are just some basic differences. Complexities overflow from those differences and many others. Learning no-limit has been an interesting ride so far. I’ve made a lot of headway, but know I have further to grow. Every two weeks, in this column, I’m going to share with you what I’ve learned. Please join me in the endeavor.

And then we can go kick ass together! ♠

Roy Cooke played poker professionally in Las Vegas for 16 years prior to becoming a successful Las Vegas Real Estate Broker/Salesman. Should you wish any information about Real Estate matters-including purchase, sale or mortgage his office number is 702-376-1515 or Roy’s e-mail is [email protected]. His website is www.RoyCooke.com. You can also find him on Facebook or Twitter @RealRoyCooke