No Limit Holdem

Texas Holdem is the most well known version of poker in the world. This wasn’t always true. However, in the last decade or two, it has become the predominate form of the game. Amongst holdem variations, limit has traditionally been the one played most often. However, recently, No Limit games have become quite popular. This might be due in part to the number of televised poker games being played in this format. Most of these events are No Limit. Consequently, individuals associate poker with No Limit Holdem and if they become interested learning to play, they choose this variation.

No Limit doesn’t differ much from other forms of Holdem. The rules are basically the same. The primary difference lies in the limitations placed on players when betting. Individuals can wager any amount of money that they want. The pot isn’t a consideration, neither is the round. In some variations of the game individuals can only wager or raise so much per round, for example, pot limit poker. This isn’t the case with No Limit.

How to Play No Limit Texas Holdem

Each player uses their two hole cards and the five community cards to make the highest ranking hand they can. There are four rounds of betting and then finally the showdown where everyone presents their hands to the table. The person with the best hand wins the pot. If there happens to be a tie, both players share the pot.

A game of No Limit Holdem begins with the two players to the left of the dealer posting the small and big blind. The dealer then deals two cards to each person. Both cards, known as the hole cards, are placed face down on the table. Only the players who those cards have been dealt to are allowed to see them. The first round of betting then begins.

Next, the dealer places three community cards in the middle of the table, face up. This is commonly referred to as the flop. The Turn is next. The 4th community card is placed in the middle of the table, followed by more betting. The 5th and final community card is placed on the table. This is known as the River. The final round of betting begins, followed by the showdown. During the showdown each player remaining in the game shows their hand. The individual with the strongest hand wins.

No Limit Holdem Tips
Have a solid buy-in strategy: It is important that individuals think out their buy-in strategy prior to heading to the casino or logging in online. Individuals that do not, risk playing on tilt. They often lose more money then they planned, quicker then they anticipated, and end up frustrated. This can be the death knell to ones play. It is thus, important to have a reasonable, well-thought out buy-in strategy and then stick to it as much as possible. It might include playing with a medium sized stack and then a player building their bankroll by bullying smaller stack players.

Spend money wisely: This is a solid tip for all players, regardless of what type of poker they play, but it is especially true in regards to No Limit games because players are able to wager as much money as they want. It can be very easy to get caught up in the emotion and competitiveness of a game and subsequently, make poor betting decisions. A player should never blow their entire bankroll on one hand. Instead, they must recognize when it is time to fold and save ones money for another game. Setting betting limits is not only wise but necessary if a person wants their gambling dollars to stretch as much as possible. Going for small wins is generally better then spending a good portion of ones bankroll in an attempt to go for big wins.

Take advantage of free games: Nothing can improve ones game more then playing. However, because it would probably be too expensive to play the number of cash games necessary to develop and improve ones skill set when just starting out, free games are the next best thing. They allow players to make mistakes without having to worry about losing money. These types of games are virtual money games. They make it possible for individuals to get many of the kinks out of their game without risk of financial ruin.

Be cognizant of table reserves: The table reserve is the bet the average hand will call. For example, the table reserve at a $2/$4 No Limit Holdem table might be within the range of $10 to $20. A person will quickly find out what the average bet is once they sit down at the table and begin playing. Once they determine what it is, they can bet accordingly. Betting more then the table reserve will automatically eliminate ones competitors, giving a player an idea of how high a bet they must make to convince the rest of the players to fold, if they or he (or she) miss the flop.

In Summary

No Limit Holdem is a poker format that is quite popular in televised tournament play. WPT (World Poker Tour) and WSOP (World Series of Poker) has No Limit events. This variation is exciting to watch because people wager, win and lose large amounts of money. Players tend to be more aggressive, making it ideal for television.

No Limit is not generally considered a good game for beginning players largely because they stand to lose a lot of money. They will also likely be competing against more experienced and skilled players, putting themselves at an automatic disadvantage. Pot limit or fixed limit games may be more appropriate.