QuickOverview

There are two primary types of betting structures in Texas Hold'Em: Limit and No-Limit.

Limit Hold'em

In a limit hold'em game, the size of a bet is fixed. When a player chooses to bet, he must bet a precise amount. For example, in most $4/$8 limit games, the size of the bet preflop and on the flop is exactly $4, and bets on the turn and river are $8. This makes limit hold'em a very mathematical game.

The strategy in a limit game is to win bets. When you have a strong hand, you should play it in a way that will extract the most bets from your opponents. In a limit game, players tend to stay in a hand longer, so when you have the best hand, you should make your opponents put in as many bets as you can.

There is also less bluffing in limit hold'em. Because the size of the pot is often very large in comparison to a single bet, players will be getting good pot odds to try and make the best hand. For example, a pot could be around $90 with multiple players in the hand, so if a player is faced with an $8 bet on the turn, it is almost never correct to fold if he has a chance to make the best hand.

No Limit Hold'em

In a no-limit hold'em game, the size of a bet is unlimited. A player can bet any amount he has on the table at any time. This makes no-limit hold'em a very psychological game. Mathematics still plays a role, but successful no-limit players often go by feel based on their read of an opponent's hand.

The strategy in a no-limit game is to win pots. When you have a strong hand, you should play it in a way that will induce your opponents to make mistakes. A great way to do this is with bet sizing. For example, if you have a strong hand but believe that your opponent is drawing to a better hand, you should make a bet that would make a call incorrect based on pot odds. With a pot of $120, a player with the best hand might choose to bet $120 on the turn. An opponent with a straight or flush draw would only be getting 2-to-1 pot odds to call, but the chances of hitting the draw would be at least 4-to-1. If he calls the $120 and hits his draw, he would obviously win a big pot. But in the long run, making this call is a mistake and will lose him money -- and make you money.

Conversely, if the player bet only $30, the opponent would be getting 5-to-1 pot odds (and possibly more with implied odds), making a call correct. You do not want to give easy decisions to your opponents in no-limit hold'em. Mistakes by your opponents is where the money is made, and it is your job to give your opponents the opportunity to make mistakes.

Form more information, please refer to Quick Overview's Main Texas Hold'em Poker Article.

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