There’s a reason why No-Limit Texas Hold’em is called the Cadillac of Poker. Except for very rare situations, you can shove all your chips in the middle when it’s your turn to play. It’s hard to beat that level of excitement. But No-Limit isn’t the only betting structure used in poker. If you want to master this game and make your poker fundamentals razor-sharp, you’ll need to get familiar with the other betting limits in use today.
Play Poker online at Bovada
Fixed-Limit Betting
This is the easiest way to play poker at Bovada. There are only two bet sizes in Fixed-Limit poker: the small bet, which is used pre-flop and on the flop, and the big bet, which is used on the turn and river. The small bet is half the size of the small blind, and the big bet is twice the size of the small bet. If you’re playing $1/$2 Fixed-Limit Hold’em (aka Limit Hold’em for short), that means the small bet is $1 and the big bet is $2, not that the blinds are $1 and $2. Because you can only bet and raise these amounts, Fixed-Limit poker is much easier to play than other versions, and not as prone to the same swings in fortune – making it a great game for newcomers to play.
Pot-Limit Betting
The next step up the ladder is the Pot-Limit structure, where the most you can bet at any one time is the size of the pot. You’ll find this betting structure used most often in Pot-Limit Omaha, although Pot-Limit versions of Hold’em and Omaha Hi/Lo are also available. Making the transition from No-Limit to Pot-Limit shouldn’t be too challenging. You can still put a lot of pressure on your opponents with raises, and you’ll still be all-in by the river in most of your big hands. Note: If you’re playing $1/$2 Pot-Limit Omaha, that means the blinds are $1 and $2, just like in $1/$2 No-Limit Hold’em.
No-Limit Betting (CAP)
Even if you’re familiar with No-Limit betting, there’s one special variant that needs to be mentioned. Some No-Limit games you’ll find online are capped at 40 big blinds; this is the maximum number of chips at risk during any one hand. It’s another way for newer players to lower their risk while learning how to play poker correctly, but experienced players will also use these capped games to smooth out the variance and build their bankrolls.
Learning all these betting structures will take some time, but the differences among the three are subtle enough that your overall poker strategy won’t change too much. Not only will you lower your variance by moving beyond No-Limit, you’ll also have a wider range of games to choose from – and game selection is crucial if you want to win money at poker. Play at lower stakes when you’re first starting out with these structures, build your poker strategy from there, and you’ll be one step closer to owning the felt.
Sign up to Bovada today
