When playing poker you must take everything into account, even the limits of the game.  The limits of the various poker betting structures directly influence how you can use your stack.  This means your betting strategy must adjust to the limits you’re playing if you want to have an edge in the game.  Learn how to play the different limits for the best possible chance at staying in the game.

            This is the freest form of betting structure since the only limit to how much you can bet is how much is in your stack.  This is the realm of the all-in bet.  Only minimums have requirements in No Limit betting.  Players have to raise a minimum of the big blind amount or at least the amount of the bet before them.

People are now familiar with No Limit betting from the numerous televised poker tournaments where pros battle it out for millions.  And with winnings like that the competition is going to be better here in high stakes No Limit than at most other types of games.  A No Limit game adds a new element to the mental game of poker.  Anyone can be good at the mathematics side of poker, even if they hardly play.  But only experience can help a player improve on the psychological aspect of the game which is half the battle.

A clear indicator of this higher stress on a psychological game in No Limit poker is bluffing.  Being able to have the all-in option to scare off your opponents makes bluffing a real weapon.  There a lot more at stake than most other limits and players give each decision careful thought.  Playing in No Limit poker games tend to play very tight because of this.

Obviously with such loose regulation over stakes the winnings for each hand have the potential of being huge, but each hand also carries the risk of leading you to having no stack at all.  Your variance then is possibly going to be larger for No Limit games than other ones if you let that notion affect your mental game.  Making sure your bankroll can handle the greater swings will help you to keep focused on the game at hand, confident that by playing your game the swings won’t be so great.

            Games with betting structures consisting of stakes that are $2/$4 or lower are typically going to be considered Low Limit games.  Within the Low Limit category there is another distinction.  Micro Limit games are low limit games with extremely low bets that start around $1 and can go as low as a penny.  With less risky stakes it only makes sense that Low Limit tables are going to be where the beginners and less skilled players gather.

An experienced player might look at this as an easy feeding frenzy, but that’s not the right approach to take.  If you scare the fish off quickly you’ll miss valuable opportunities to get more out of the table.  However, controlling play while fish are at the table is no easy task.  At the Low Limit tables, even more so the Micro Limit ones, the collective playing style of the table is most likely to be very loose when you’re up against players that easily go on tilt and some that aren’t even playing for the money.

With play this loose using strategy can become quite a challenge.  Because many inexperienced players want to try to get in on every hand, which the low stakes lends to, it’s going to alter how you need to play to win.  This leads to the first point in playing strategy, don’t count on the bluff in Low Limit games.  There will be too many players staying in the game no matter what they’re dealt so they won’t be deterred by the bluff, especially when it won’t cost much to see the next card.

Also keep in mind because of these low stakes money isn’t going to be quite the issue it is at higher, or possible all-in stakes.  This leads to people being harder to read during the hand.  They aren’t taking as much time to decide what action they’re going to take since their mind is more likely set on playing it through.  This lack of contemplation doesn’t give you as much opportunity to read and analyze their playing. 

So you’ll have to match their loose play, even if you typically play a tighter game.  If you’re going to get the chance to take down the pot you’re going to have to get in more hands, plain and simple.  If not your stack will go to the blinds while other players catch lucky cards.   Playing more hands is going to mean a greater variance in your game and thus your stack.  Your session bankroll for a Low Limit game should account for the difference in the swings.

To make up for these hurtles you’ll have to count on your technical game.  You’ll be more reliant on using the cards, both your hole cards and the community cards, for your game analysis.  Being able to quickly and accurately sum up the strength of your hole cards and how they can be used with the board is going to be your barometer for how far you should stay in the game.  This is also to your advantage since beginner players will have less skill and experience in this sort of strategy.  You won’t throw away as many bets as the other players and when you have a good hand you’ll have a better chance of slowly building up the pot.

Low Limit games are the game of choice to for those are really looking to play more for fun than money, those who are beginners and those with a slim bankroll that they’re trying to build.  If you’re learning the game you should start here and work your way up to larger stakes where you can better improve your game against players with more skill and strategy.

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