Shifting Your Thinking from Limit to No-limit
Players who decide to expand their repertoire of holdem poker games often make mistakes when they first start playing a new game at which they have no experience. In this chapter, out goal is to help you adjust your thinking and your strategy when you first start playing no-limit holdem so that you will make the fewest mistakes possible in the first no-limit tournaments or cash games you play.
We realize that many limit holdem poker players who decide to venture into no-limit holdem are fearful at first. We feel safe when we know the boundaries within which we can operate and that is why many players feel more secure in limit games. Without the structure of limits, you may feel lost, as thought poker you are driving in a strange city without a road map. Limit holdem prescribes exactly how much you can bet and how much other people can bet against you, so you know in advance how much you might risk on a hand. In no-limit holdem, there are no such restrictions.
Whereas in limit holdem, the amount of the bet is dictated by a predetermined limit, the only limit on how much you can bet in no-limit holdem is the amount of chips you have in front of you. You can bet all of your chips or just a few of them-and so can all the other players at your table. This freedom of choice makes many players who are accustomed to having limited choices feel uncomfortable. They sweat every betting decision. In a nutshell, limit holdem has fixed betting limits with both a minimum and a maximum bet. In no-limit holdem, there is a minimum bet but no maximum bet. You can bet all your chips in no-limit holdem poker at any time.
The key to feeling comfortable in no-limit poker is getting a feel for how much you should bet rather than how much to bet you can bet. In this Book, we will give you specific instruction on how much to bet so that you can overcome your fears and feel comfortable and competent playing no-limit holdem. Our betting chart gives you very clear holdem guidelines on how much to bet at every stage in a tournament.
Now let us move on to some of the basic poker changes in thinking and strategy that you need to make in order to transition from limit holdem to no-limit holdem. First, you must learn to think outside the box. In a $1-$2 limit holdem game, for example, you think inside introduction the $1-$2 box: "I can bet $1 on the flop and $2 on the turn. " In a no-limit holdem game with $1-$2 box: "I can bet a few chips, a lot of chips, or all my chips. "
In limit holdem, the size of the game is determined by the limit on how much you can bet. In no-limit holdem, the size of the poker game is determined by the size of the blinds. Because you can bet all your chips any time you wish.