Poker News

James McKenna, PhD.

Most things in life thrive on limits. Without speed limits, driving could be the most dangerous thing we do these days. Without guidelines to guide healthy eating, heart attacks and obesity could wipe us out. Respect for privacy and ownership are also guided and improved by laws and their enforcement. Why is it then that when playing poker so many people prefer no limits?

Now it’s not true that No-Limit Poker has no limits. It’s just that there are no limits on how much you can bet. Besides this and the fact that the games of Limit and No-Limit Poker are dealt the same way, there’s a world of difference. Unlike real life, though, there seems to be an advantage to having no limits on the betting. Some people even contend that no-limit is REAL poker. That means that limit poker loses some of the advantages of bluffing and dealing with “runner, runner” players.

No limit declined in popularity during the 80’s and 90’s. Why? Because all who remained were the good players and they drove away all the “easy marks” that were needed to keep the games alive. So, faced with playing equally good players, the game died out. Now, with the rise of television’s World Poker Tour and other televised Texas Hold ‘Em games, there’s more no-limit games in the casinos. I wonder how long that will last. Will these games also die out when the well runs dry? After all, what is shown on TV are highly edited for drama and interest. Also, the quality of players shows the “cream of the crop” that has eliminated all the poorer players before the final table.

Mistakes are easier to recover from in limit poker. A mistake, like going all in to call an all in bet, could wipe you out. The same mistake in Limit Poker of calling a raise and losing the pot is something we all do. However, the decisions behind these mistakes are the kind of advantage that good players have over weaker ones. For instance, a good player will lay down a call if the pot odds are not right. In no-limit, the pot odds are all that is usually right.

Fewer hands are played to the river in no-limit. That’s because bluffing comes with more sting. In lower limit games, weaker players will call and get lucky on the river. In No-Limit Poker, such chasing will rear up and bite you where you sit. So, in no-limit, position and super- aggressive play are better rewarded. In limit games, such challenges will be met by loose calls or players who already have you beat.

It’s clear that Limit and No Limit Hold ‘Em games are as different as apples and oranges. While they are both fruits, it’s a lot harder to juice an apple. It’s also much harder to bluff in a limit game with a bunch of nuts. Here’s an example of that: You are in late position and you have a pair of Jacks (unsuited of course). When you raise the bet in a limit game you are apt to be called by people chasing because they have high cards. Suppose that the flop is Ks, 10h, and 2d. One of your callers has a K, 2. So, you know the rest. A large bet before the flop in a No-Limit Hold ‘Em game would have made the K, 2 fold (unless the player is a maniac).

Poker rewards living on the edge when the betting limits are removed. There is more protection in No-Limit Poker from the “runner, runners,” and the maniacs. Just as entrepreneurs take risks and get the rewards of profit, so too players who play the riskier No-Limit Poker will make more money in the long run–unless they are the “fish.” Still, while it’s hard to beat a beginner or a drunk, you’ll still find some in a no-limit game.

Filed under: Poker News