It's only natural for a card player
to want to shift his or her game every so often and try something
new, something fresh. For many poker players part of the adrenaline
of playing cards is the challenge. Being in a game that is very
different gives a rush that is hard to compete with. But many good
poker players also like making money, so while the jump from no
limit Texas Hold 'Em to Omaha Hi-Lo is indeed a huge jump, you are
also less likely to make it profitable.
One of the most common shifts for
a card player to make is from no limit Texas Hold 'Em to limit Texas
Hold 'Em. While this may seem like a minor shift, there are some
very big differences between the two games, and if you want to be
successful there are some major ramifications in limiting the betting
that you should be aware of before jumping in too deep. One of the
first things you need to know is whether you are at a conservative
table, a loose table, or a relatively balanced table. This will
dictate what type of playing strategy you should use.
At a loose table you should be more
conservative, only pushing in chips with larger pocket pairs or
large hands. At an overly conservative table, you want to keep pushing
in chips with even middle pocket pairs, forcing players out and
building up the pot. While this is true to an extent in no limit
hold 'em, those decisions are tempered by the understanding that
you are always playing for all of your chips. In limit hold 'em
there are only so many chips that can end up in the pot, which means
you want to get high value out of every winning hand.
The shift to limit hold 'em is easier
for players who like to play a lot of flops, while very tight no
limit players tend to have a harder time making the adjustment.
Limit hold 'em has a lot to do with position. Play more good hands
near the button, shy away from weak position. The reason you want
to "ram and jam" is two fold: for one you want to eliminate
iffy competitors who can catch their hand and bust you. Second,
if you have the whole table calling, in just two or three hands
you can hurt most of the weak players by making them pay to get
in, and when you do finally hit your hand, you hit it hard.
Another major difference is the lack
of slow playing. Slow playing, as a general tactic, doesn't make
as much sense for limit games, because a bet in a no-limit game
could be huge, even all of an opponent's chips, but in limit this
is not the case, so if you have A-Q pre-flop, not only should you
have raised that as often as possible, but if you hit a queen on
the flop, keep raising and re-raising. Since limit hold 'em limits
the bets, often times weak players will take a 2nd or 3rd high pair
to the river, or even the most unlikely of chases, not realizing
how much that will cost them in the long run. You want as many chips
in the pot as possible, and the best way to do that in limit is
to raise and re-raise.
The key to limit hold 'em is to play
tight and aggressive. You still want to play good hands, but when
you play them you want to keep betting and play aggressive. You
want other players to groan every single time you jump into a pot.
That being said, know when to walk away. If you miss the flop completely,
you don't have to defend it. Put in a raise if you think you might
steal it, and if it doesn't work, leave. Don't "defend"
your money in the pot. Once it's in there, it is no longer yours
to defend. Wait for another good hand, a good flop, then attack
again.
Aggressive players tend to do well
because a good limit hold 'em player is a good flop player. You
need to be able to play aggressive, to have an idea of how you stand
compared to others, and then to have the guts to play hard. This
isn't a game for everyone, but for a good player, it can be a great
cash cow.- Thanks Shane Dayton
