Low Limit No Limit Part 1

BY: Ashley Adams
Contact at: (Asha34@aol.com)
Author of Winning 7-Card Stud

There are many no limit hold em ring games (non-tournaments) around these days - in and out of casinos. I went to Las Vegas about a month ago and there were a dozen rooms that spread the low limit, no limit variety. Three years ago not one of them did. Similarly, I know of about a dozen home games like this in the Boston area. Two years ago there were two.

You've probably heard of this "low limit, no limit" or even played in such a game. Typically, there's a low buy-in of between $20 and $200 and a very low blind structure like $1/2, $2/4, or $2/5. These games are designed for people who want the experience of no limit but not the risk of losing a lot of money. Playing in them can be fun, exciting and, if you know what you're doing, very profitable.

Many of these games deliberately limit the stacks people have when they start by requiring that no one can buy-in for more than minimum buy in. If the game is a $1/2 $100 buy-in no limit hold em game, for example, you must buy-in for exactly $100. You can increase your stack back up to $100 if you fall below $100, but you can't come to the table with $1,000 or even $200. This limit on the buy-in avoids the bullying that might take place if someone had deep pockets and could regularly force his opponents to decide whether they wanted to go all-in. But for whatever reason, these games tend to be very different from the high stakes no limit games that attract the most skilled players.

I've played in these low limit, no limit games for about five years now. I've found that for the most part the opposition is very, very soft. Sure, there are some guys who know what they're doing. But for the most part, the players tend to have little clue about a winning strategy. This provides an opportunity for the good player.

I'm going to write a few articles about some of the strategies that I've developed that have helped me win. And win I have, many thousands of dollars, and over 80% of the sessions I've played. I've found that I can win much more consistently at this form of no limit than I can at even limit 7-Card Stud, my main money game. I do not attribute that to being a world class player. I am certainly not. If I played a high stakes no limit game with any of the name players you see on the World Poker Tour I would probably be soundly thumped. But by striking out against the typical low limit no limit player I've made a nice profit. And, I think, so can you.

In the articles that follow I'll cover many different aspects of a winning no limit strategy, including: game selection, position, raising, playing draws, playing in the lead, exploiting likely mistakes, evaluating your relative stack size when making betting decisions, bluffing, trapping, and bankroll considerations. Let me touch on the first topic now: game selection.

How do you know if you have found the type of game that you can beat? There are a few signs that are obvious once you start playing, and a few others that you can actually learn before you even sit down. Let's start with those first.

You want a game that has a low MAXIMUM buy-in. Usually, this is determined by a rule that is announced up front by the game organizer-either the casino or the guy who is hosting the game. But sometimes it's just a matter of convention. If it isn't stated clearly in advance just ask the organizer what the conventional buy-in is. If the game is $100 minimum but the host tells you that a few guys always buy-in for $1,000 or so then you may want to avoid that game - not definitely - but it may mean that these guys are serious players who know what they're doing and like having the advantage of a large stack of chips with which to push others around. If they're excellent and have a large stack and you're just good and don't want to risk much more than the minimum then you will have a large disadvantage, especially when you're just starting out. I'd suggest avoiding such a game - at least until your skills and confidence increase. On the other hand, if you're told that the minimum and the maximum are $100 or if the organizer tells you that just about everyone buys in for $50 or $100 and maybe one guy buys in a little heavy at $150, well then this is a good sign.

There are some other signs that the game is good that you'll notice quickly. If players tend to raise by the amount of the blind then they probably don't really understand what no limit play is all about. They probably are limit players who are new to no limit and can be exploited. I've seen this a lot. Similarly, if nearly all the players call the initial blind, and there are many of them in to see the flop then they are probably very weak. If they tend to bet lightly, there are many callers, and you always are seeing the flop, that's a very good sign. On the other hand, if you find that there is a lot of pre-flop raising, of bet sizes that increase dramatically, and the flop is seen by two people if it's seen at all and the hand rarely progresses to the River, well then it will probably tend to be a tough game.

Players are often bad in the other direction as well. I've noticed that there are often a couple of rookie players who go all in regularly. It's not that they're selectively aggressive or anything. Rather, they raise wildly, grossly over betting the pot. You may have to see what their holding once or twice to be sure, but generally these players are awful, just aping the style of play they've seen on the World Poker Tour without a handle what they're doing. They just shove all in because they think that's how to play the game. These players are very beatable.

There are also many very timid no limit players. They really don't know how to play either. But they're determined to just play tightly and wait for a monster hand. They figure that if they are careful and avoid any serious confrontations until they're a huge favorite that they'll come out ahead. These players can be bullied into submission rather easily. And if they come back at you then you can concede with confidence. Look for players who call the blind and then fold when the pot is raised. They're great for the game.

One final word on what to look for. I used to think that youth was a clear sign of inexperience and inability among poker players. I can't say this anymore. Though it is true that many of the young players of no limit hold em are awful, I don't attribute this to their age at all but rather just the sheer number of young players entering the game these days. Some of them, however, are much further along the learning curve than most of us older guys were when we were their age. The true students of the game have had an enormous advantage that we never had. They have been able to play thousands of hands of no limit poker on line. If they're thoughtful and have studied the game they can be formidable opponents. But by observing how your opponents play, rather than just how old they are, you'll soon learn if the game is beatable. Most of them are these days. Find them and start winning. I'll show you how in the articles to follow.

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