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July 25, 2008
No Limit Texas Holdem Strategy
No-limit Hold'em and pot-limit hold'em are similar games. No-limit hold'em is extremely popular on the internet, much more than pot-limit hold'em.
No-limit/pot-limit betting structure (also called 'big bet' betting structure) lends games to be far less mechanical than fixed limit structure. Starting hand selection/pot odds are part of no limit hold'em, but this article will focus on the several key big bet poker concepts you should learn before playing no limit/pot limit hold'em. Read more on No Limit Texas Hold'em...
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The amount of money at stake in a no limit game is of paramount importance when formulating your strategy. While in brick and mortar cardrooms the buyin is not capped, there is generally a limit on the amount one can buy into in an Internet no limit/pot limit game. This maximum buyin is determined by the size of the blinds
The game size determines how much bluffing and drawing you can do. Since you can bet any amount in front of you, bluffing is a formidable tool in no limit. Also, drawing hands go up in value because you can extract a huge bet when you hit them. Nevertheless, if there is not much money at the table, your implied odds for drawing go down since you can not extract as much money on the turn/river. It is also harder to bluff because the pot size is going to be larger in relation to people's stacks and your bets will not represent "a lot of money at stake."
Adjusting to your opponents' styles is also critical in no limit. In limit, you can generally play tight-aggressive against any opponent. However, in big bet poker, it is much more important to 'play the man.' Here are some general tips against certain playing styles:
Loose-passive: These opponents like to call. Almost always, this is going to be disastrous in no limit. In poker, especially big bet poker, betting is always better than calling because if you bet you can win if you have the better hand or if they fold. However, if you call, you can only win if you have the better hand. Thus, calling a lot at no limit will allow your opponent to control the action.
With these types of opponents, I suggest waiting to hit a good hand and then just zapping money bit by bit out of them. Make 2/3 size pot bets a lot. These people will generally call these bets with a super hand like top pair, little kicker.
Tight-Passive: These people don't play many hands and don't make much music when they do. These people are generally the easiest to bluff, so go ahead and knock them out if you can at the flop. If these people bet, get out! Chances are they have the nuts or the near nuts.
Tight-Aggressive: These people exercise good starting hand selection and will tend to bet their hands very strongly. Some of these types of players bluff more than others. If you suspect that a tight aggressive is not bluffing, fold when he bets (unless you have a very strong hand like A-K, see best starting hands). Otherwise, I suggest raising these people to see where you are at the flop if you have a marginal hand and trapping them when you have a sneaky hand like a set. The one thing about these types of players that is nice is they generally will bet their hand.
Loose-Aggressive: The bets from these people often mean nothing. They will bluff, semi-bluff, and all-around try to bully people. This can often work at higher stakes games but will generally fail at the lower stakes no limit. Since there is not that much money at stake, people will just call these people down and they will lose because they simply don't have the hands most of the time. With these types of players, just try to trap them with a strong hand and let them steal the small pots otherwise.
Maniac loose-aggressive: These people will buy a fair share of pots, but then will get themselves trapped by another aggressive player and will lose their stacks in one or two hands. What separates these from good loose-aggressives is that they lack discipline. They love the action of No-Limit so much that they get themselves trapped too easily. These players are even rarer than loose-passives in my experience.
Strong loose-aggressive: These people seem like they are horrible maniacs, but in reality, they are a very dangerous form of player. These guys will certainly lose a lot of money in pots, but they also will buy a lot of pots and will win huge ones. The way these types of players win is mainly by getting a good read on the opponent and then making a well-timed bet. The main tactic against these players is to trap them in their own game.
The way to beat these guys is to take them down at one big pot. Since these guys will play a lot of hands, especially shorthanded, they'll often play hands that lend themselves to be second best hands.
Starting hand selection is not quite as important in no limit as it is in limit, but there are some key differences between good fixed limit hands and good no limit hands. Drawing hands and pocket pairs gain in value in no limit/pot limit because of their drawing potential. These hands can withstand a lot of heat when they hit (and are often sneaky), so they are able to rake in huge pots. Big cards, like AQ, go down in value because they often can not beat strong hands. Since huge pots are generally the contest between strong hands, hands that tend to be stronger when they are 'strong,' are better. AK/AQ tend to be a pair or two when they are strong, whereas suited connectors and pocket pairs tend to be trips / flushes / straights when they are strong.
(Texas Hold'em - best starting hands)
Many newbies are often confused by how much to bet in big bet poker. The answer revolves around pot odds and trapping. Suppose you have AK and the board is A48, A4 are diamonds. You probably have the best hand, though you may be wary of someone with 44, 88, or A8. However, your main nemesis is probably the flush draw. In this situation, I would recommend pot-sized bets so the flush draw does not get good odds. In general, pot sized bets are the standard in low stakes no limit/pot limit hold'em when you have a made hand. Again, bet size really should revolve around the type of your opponent, what you think he has, how much each of you have in front of you, and what you think he thinks of you.
Early Position
Early Position is usually defined as the first three players to act after the blinds (for a full table). A player in early position should only play strong hands, as there are players to act after them who may raise.
Recommended hands: AA, KK, QQ, JJ, TT, 99, AK, AQ
Middle Position Middle Position is usually defined as the next three players after the three early position players. A player in Middle Position may play slightly weaker hands than an early position player as they have the opportunity to see some of the action before them.
Recommended hands: 88, 77, 66, AJ, KQ, QJ, JT
Late Position Late Position is usually defined as the last two players before the blinds. Players in Late Position may play a greater number of hands, as they are able to see the actions of the majority of the players at the table.Recommended hands: 66, 55, AT, KJ, KT, T9, 98, and any Ace with a same suited lower card.
Blinds The blinds have the advantage of playing a diverse number of hands as they have already contributed either a partial or full bet. If there is a raise before them, then the blinds must often fold, as they will be in Early Position after the flop and so need a strong hand to continue.
Recommended hands:
In an un-raised pot: The same hands as Middle and Late Position.
In a raised pot: The same hands as Early Position.
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