(Distributed July 11, 2006)
LIMIT AND NO-LIMIT CASH GAMES TAKE DIFFERENT STRATEGIES
Jody N. of Illinois asked me to compare limit and no-limit cash game strategies. Let’s give it a shot.
(SET ITAL) Hey LuckyDog: After playing a lot of online limit and no-limit hold’em tournaments, I’m realizing they’re not really the same game. Is that also true for cash games in a casino? What are the differences and how should I adjust my play for each? (SET ITAL)
Well, Jody, let’s start with the most obvious and important difference: Your losses can be much greater in a no-limit cash game, so unless you’re comfortable putting hundreds of dollars on the line, you should stick with limit cash poker both online and in card rooms.
It’s worth noting, however, that low-stakes limit hold’em is a tough game to beat because of the house rake, which often amounts to $4 or $5 per hand. If 20 hands are dealt per hour, that’s about $100 coming off the table every 60 minutes that you can’t win. In no-limit it’s easier to beat the rake because you can post much bigger wins.
Meanwhile, you’re right about the two cash games requiring different strategies. Here are some key points:
NUMBER OF PLAYERS — Invariably, lots of players stay in to see the flop in limit hold’em, especially in $3-$6 and $4-$8 games. It also happens in loose $6-$12 and $10-$20 games. The pots get so big at a full table that you sometimes are getting 10-1 odds on your money to stay in for one more modest-sized bet, trying to catch a winning card.
In no-limit, the reverse usually happens. Because of the big-bet factor, many hands are played heads-up. Most no-limit players won’t “limp in” (just call the minimum bet trying to see a cheap flop) with marginal hands. They know someone behind them is likely to make a substantial raise and they’ll have to fold.
HAND SELECTION — In limit hold’em, because more players stay in each hand, you can stay for the flop with a wider range of starting cards. Any pocket pair is playable in a loose game. So are big-card hands (any two starting cards 10 and higher) and A-x suited. Even connectors as low as 8-7 can fair well against a handful of opponents.
No-limit hand selection is more restricted. A good rule of thumb is to play hands you can raise with, or call a raise with. For many players, that means a Top 10 hand: pocket pairs (A-A through 10-10), plus A-K, A-Q, A-J, A-10, and maybe K-Q (all preferably suited). Playing small pairs and connectors can get expensive.
BETTING STRATEGIES — Firing bets in low-limit hold’em often accomplishes only one thing — making the pot bigger. Seldom will a bet or raise chase everyone out unless you’re at a very tight table. It’s hard to protect your big pocket pairs from straight and flush draws. When your pair holds up, though, you win a nice pot. Successful bluffs are rare.
In no-limit, well-timed bluffs can work. A decent raise pre-flop — about four times the big blind — usually will thin the field to one or two other players. Now your high pocket pair has a better chance of winning. If you raise and everyone folds, well, at least you win the blinds. Even your unimproved A-K can often win against one other player who also fails to improve with the five community cards.
Here’s an example using pocket aces. Against four opponents pre-flop — fairly typical for a limit hold’em game — your aces have about a 40 percent chance to win. Those same aces against just one player will win about 80 percent of the time. By the way, the hand with the best chance mathematically to crack your aces heads-up is suited middle connectors, such as 6-7 of clubs.
PLAYING POSITION — Raising from late position in limit hold’em might knock out the blinds, but everyone else already in the bulging pot ahead of you will call that single additional bet. From early position, however, sometimes your raise will reduce the field because you’re confronting players behind you with a double bet while the pot’s still small. I recommend such a raise with A-K and pairs higher than sevens.
No-limit is different. You can protect a big starting hand from early position with a nice raise. From late position, if no one has yet entered the pot, you often can raise with any two cards and steal the blind money. Be careful, though, because observant players will catch on to what you’re doing. They’re likely to set a trap against you while holding a big hand.
One last thing, Jody. The competition is stronger in a typical no-limit game, so don’t venture there until you’re ready!
WSOP NUMBERS UP
Tournament entries during the early days of this year’s 45-event World Series of Poker in Las Vegas are higher than a year ago.
For the first six comparable open events, featuring the same game and the same buy-in level as last year, entries totaled 8,167 versus 6,853 in 2005. That’s no surprise, given poker’s popularity.
Almost everyone also is expecting another record-breaking field in the championship $10,000 buy-in event which starts July 28. The main event drew 839, 2,576, and 5,619 players the past three years, with many predicting 8,000 could show up this year.
Just for kicks, here’s my prediction for the main event: 7,117 players. We’ll see how close I come!
E-mail your poker questions and comments to russ@luckydogpoker.com for use in future columns. To find out more about Russ Scott and read previous LuckyDog Poker columns, visit www.creators.com.
COPYRIGHT 2006 RUSS SCOTT
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