No Limit and Pot Limit Hold'em Poker
Contents: Limit, No Limit, Bets
In online poker, two types of betting structures are most popular — limit and no-limit. In Texas Hold’em, limit rules are more common in Omaha, while Hold’em is often played without limits.
Limit Hold’em
- Players can place bets ranging between the table’s current limit (lower limit on preflop and flop, upper limit on turn and river) and the maximum size of the pot and table.
- For example, let’s say we’re playing at $2/$4 on the flop. There’s $20 in the pot, and the player in the small blind bets $2. Other players must also contribute $2 to call. The pot becomes $24 plus two from each player and your call. In this situation, it’s possible to raise to $24.
- Your raise is $16. The total pot becomes $40. The next player must call $18. You can also raise within the table limit range (either lower or upper, depending on the stage).
No-Limit Hold’em
No-limit Texas Hold'em is simpler. As the name implies, there’s no cap on the maximum bet — players can wager any amount up to their full stack. Going all-in means pushing all your chips into the pot. Players are not allowed to rebuy chips during a hand. If someone runs out of chips while others can still bet, side pots are created after the all-in occurs.
Any additional contributions go into the "side pot." When cards are revealed, the all-in player competes for the main pot only. The other players fight for both the main and side pots. The winner of the side pot is determined first. Keep in mind that there can be several pots on the table — players always compete only for the pots they contributed to.
Bets
Bets are used in all poker variants to protect each player and ensure fair play regardless of stack sizes. What does this mean practically? If one player has $100 and another only $50, the first player may only bet $50 maximum. We recommend reading more about cash games and not sitting at tables where the stakes exceed your bankroll. Start with micro-limits.
Example
A no-limit game is taking place on the PokerMatch platform with three players. The first player has $300, the second $200, and the third $100. The third goes all-in. The second calls and must commit $100 from their $200. Then, the first also goes all-in for $300. The second can call only with what’s left — another $100. This creates a side pot. After the showdown, if the third player has the best hand, they win the main pot. The remaining $200 side pot is distributed to the player with the next strongest hand. If either the first or second has the best overall hand, they take both pots.
So what’s the main difference between limit and no-limit? In limit Hold’em, you focus on building strong hands. In no-limit, you can pressure opponents into folding by leveraging your position and stack size. Use smart strategies and aim for victory!
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