Discover how to play limit Texas hold'em most effectively...
LIMIT TEXAS HOLD’EM I haven’t really touched on Limit Hold’em very much. It’s a surprisingly popular game and a personal favourite of the legendary Annie “The Duchess” Duke, probably one of the finest exponents of the “Limit” game in the world. In Limit Hold’em your focus is to try and extract the maximum value from each hand. Obviously this applies to the “No Limit” game as well but you have to be more careful in “No Limit” because you may end up playing for your whole stack. In “Limit” play more hands towards the button. Exploit position and play big cards hard. Be patient but bully weaker players where you can. Don’t bother slow-playing in Limit games. You are pot building to maximise profits. There isn’t usually too much pre-flop activity in Limit. It’s one of the big differences between the two styles of Hold’em. Limit is definitely for flop players and you’ll see a lot more flops in Limit than you would in No Limit.
MAKE ‘EM AFRAID If you have Ace-Jack for example and you hit a Jack on the flop you should raise as long as the vibe from the rest of the table is right. Annie Duke’s advice is to play Limit very tight but put a lot of pressure on your opposition. Annie insists you need players to be scared to battle for pots with you. Whatever hand you decide to represent (a good one or a bluff) represent it to the hilt. Playing tight and being aggressive can sit very well together once you are on top of your game.
WAIT FOR IT The best Limit players tend to be very patient and wait for a premium hand and then become aggressive. If you’ve created the right aura around you the opposition won’t know if you have the goods or are mounting a bluff. Ideal turf to play on. It’s important not to be afraid to fold. If the flop doesn’t give you what you are looking for, dump your cards right away. Limit Hold’em is pumped or dumped at the flop. Don’t hope the turn or the river will come to your rescue. It’s fine to fold.
BETS BELONG TO THE POT Don’t become pot committed. Money you’ve put in the pot belongs to the pot, not to you. If the flop doesn’t deliver, kiss your investment goodbye. Limit is a very profitable game when you get a handle on it and the beauty of learning it online is you can play for tiny blind bets. Cents not dollars. Educate yourself on the cheap because although the game is called Limit you can still find games where the blinds are $300-$600. Limit doesn’t mean Junior. It’s just another type of poker.
