[xmanpike]

I have been very successful playing nl and pl hold em online and in casinos. I have lost aquite a bit of money though playing limit poker. I fel I cannot protect my hand the way I do in NL or PL. I'm not sure if I am playing too tight or too loose. I have read every poker book in the owrld and feel I have a good understanding of the game too. I think it maybe just that I am playing at severely loose tables because it seems I get beat by hands like 85os making straights and two pair with K3 in the hole. I have won the last few times so maybe things are impoving or turning but any help would be greatly appreciated.

thanks

xmanpike

[nicka123]

i know your problem, i felt the same...until i started playing alot looser in limit because most of the time hitting a pair is a rarity so..i suggest playing reckless and ull come out on top!

[Texas72]

xmanpike, what limits are you playing? If it's low limit, remember that for a lot of the players, a $1 bet isn't going to stop them from "going for it". Particulary in casinos...most of the players are tourists, and they aren't interested in sitting around a poker table and folding!

I felt the same way you did when I started playing limit - that I couldn't get people off their draws, etc. It really all depends on who you're playing against. If the players are good, and paying attention - a check-raise is your best friend. Good players will know that you have a hand when you use that. (Remember to mix it up some though). The biggest thing to remember when playing low-limits (in general, anything below $5/$10) is that if a flush or straight card hits, someone's got it. Proceed with caution in those situations.

Limit can be a great game, as well as profitable. The switch to it from NL can be very trying, but hang in there! You might want to check out Hold'Em for Advanced Players or Small Stakes Hold'Em, as well as the work of Izmet Fekali.

[zoobomb]

Limit Poker is really all about the little things and without knowing exctly how you play its hard to make a useful comment other than this. If youve been playing NL for a while you probably havnt been checking out your hand histories as much, as no-limit depends more on the specific table than limit. So go through your histories and try to identify areas where your leaking money. Anotehr good test is calculating your pot odds for a good few hands and see if your making any clear mistakes regularly, remeber with limit and poker in general its not necessarily the person who has the most money at the end who was the best player at the table. If you are on a losing streak dont be down.. find something each day that you can improve on and eventually your streak will be reversed (for a while).

Also remeber that the slow play hands are often better in limit that no-limit and try being really agressive if you think you can win..

[Phoenix29]

Limit Hold Em is all about chasing chasing chasing.

Theres no way you can play tight and win, gotta play loose and chase everything.

[napcuz]

Originally Posted by Phoenix29

Limit Hold Em is all about chasing chasing chasing.

Theres no way you can play tight and win, gotta play loose and chase everything.

You hit the nail on the head on this one. You might as well play showdown and whoever has the best hand wins. I played for two weeks and could'nt buy a pot. I was the better in alot of hands only to be chased down by a gut shot straight or flush. I would raise preflop and people will call 3 7 off and somehow hit the straight go figure. I was frustrated so started playing rags and lost even more money. I quit for 2 weeks, I'm gonna start again this week.

[ScottMc]

Phoenix what site do you play at and what Limit. If that is your advice I want to sit with you.

I will agree to a certain extent that you do play a wider array of hands in limit but to "chase chase chase" is going to get you broke.

In limit you have to be in the mindset to make a bunch of right decisions. In NO-Limit all you have to do is make 1. You also need to be able to figure your pot odds and drawing odds as it relates to your implied odds (how is that for a mouthful)

xmanpike the reason you are getting beat by hands like 85 is because hands like that have more ability in limit that big pocket pairs.

Here is an example for low limit 1/2 blinds. You have AA UTG and raise it you get 4 callers, MP, Button, SB and BB. That puts $10 into the pot so for the next round of betting a $1 bet is getting 10 - 1 with implied odds and the end remains 10 to 1 for the BB round. In other words if every one is in for a another betting round of $1 for a small bet and the obvious raise YOU have to make the pot will be $20 so BB round is 10 to 1 again giving any drawing hand odds to call with a large ranges of hands.

Flop comes 7h 9h Kc

Your hand is still dominant but a wide range of drawing hands could be in the mix. With MP calling you raise you have to put him on Bigger cards and more than likely suited AQ AJ KQ KJ KT is the range and maybe mid to high PP 7's through J's anything above that would more than likely raised your bet. The Button SB and BB are you main opposition in this hand at this point. In low limits like this any number of hands could be in the mix.

Lets assign some hands. MP is a loose chase chase chase player. He has K2 Diamonds. He calls everything and you have him pegged as a calling station.

Button has 78 spades. He is not calling a lot of hands out of position with bad cards but you notice him getting his money in with decent hands when the pot looks to be big.

SB has 85 off and is a passive player that likes to see lots of flops.

BB is the chip leader and is gambling. He has a JT off and is only calling because it is a $1 to get in for a $10 pot.

SB is going to check with his gut-shot because he didn’t catch anything other than his 4 outer even if he pairs on the turn he is going to be way behind. BB is going to check as well because it only cost him a $1 to see this flop leaving you to open for a small bet instead of the raise you wanted.

You bet and of course MP is going to raise with top pair because he is a chase-chase chase player. The button has a choice to make now with his hand. The Bet is $2 he has 5 outs x 2 all he needs is 8 to 1 to chase on this even though he is a 20% to improve he is already getting 10 to 1 on his money so he can call the bet to see one more card to see if he can pick up any outs. Any number of cards improves his pot odds so he is going to call for the pot odds. SB has 4 outs needing only 10 – 1 to chase you down, lets say he also has 1 heart the 8 of hearts giving him a back door flush and a straight flush miracle draw. His $2 call is going to get him in on a $20 implied pot and he could pick up 9 outs for the flush and 8 outs for the open=ended straight if he gets a card that gives him some play… hey its only $2 I might as well call. You might lose BB at this point because he is smart enough not to chase so it is back to the UTG and a $1 call. UTG still has top pair AA though so he is going to raise it and when it comes back as a raise to Mr. Chase-chase-chase in MP he is just the type of douche bag that is going to call and maybe raise. Lets say he is not completely brain dead and just calls and the other 2 call as well because the completion just got smaller and the drawing odds just got bigger.

Ok lets see the turn. We got a $24 pot SB has 85 off and only 4 outs, UTG has AA but at this point I would hate to be him because the upcoming card is going to be a killer for him if it is any flush card and any card that puts 3 to the flush on the board and don’t forget if it pairs the board he is drawing dead to only 2 outs for a boat but could also be up against quads. MP the chasing AssClown only has top pair and a kicker he should be ashamed about. Button has 78 a pair and a drawing hand.

Turn is a 6h hitting the straight card for the SB and he is going to check, AA can not check even with the straight and the flush on the board so he has to call MP with K@ is going to call because maybe he doesn’t have his head completely shoved between his butt checks and button has to call with his new draw for an open ended because with 8 outs he is getting great odds needing only 4 to 1 but that gets us back to SB who has the straight and he is going to check raise it to $4 UTG calls with the AA MP calls because he still lives in a dream world where his play is smart and he is never going to go broke Button calls as well and we add another $16 to the pot making it $40.

Now AA is not that far behind… lets say he has the Ace of hearts and has 9 outs but you only have 18% of hitting and you need 3.6 to 1 on your money to chase and you are getting 20 to 1 so you have to call almost any bet and raise coming. SB is not checking this time though unless something special happens

Lets give you the worst hand possible ACE ON THE RIVER. Now this is where we separate the men from the boys. If small blind is smart he checks it here and gambles that you had a big ace and a busted draw or even AA like you have because you are dead. You have to bet it though because it is a set and beats all but the straight. MP folds because he knows he lost button folds and SB check raises you again and $8 more total go into the pot.

Showdown comes and you lose with the set and you are pissed at that fu@#$g fish the SB for beating you. DON’T BE MAD AT HIM! It is not his fault you lost. It is that worthless pot building Douche in the MP that chases-chases-chases and gets to fold at the river when the going gets tough. He built the pot up so big that anyone with any chance to draw is going to be in. Make sure you mark him on your list!

[xmanpike]

I have sinced changd my startegy in limit and have foudn that my super aggressive play that works in NL is quite useful in low limit short handed tables also. I am up a few hundred bucks already playing 3/6. thanks guys



xmanpike

[BadAndy]

I can't stand playing LIMIT poker... i have to always have that ALL in option or atleast a biiiiig bet option! Limit is more of a game for lucky people... you can always see the flops and catch garbage...

[ngar23]

i hate playing limit, limit has never been good to me cause their is no bluffing or no pushing somone out of a pot.also if someone has a draw then they will get to see it cheap cause you cant bet big to push him out or make him pay to see it. i dont know i guess some people like it but i just dont the limit teexas holdem thanks