Limit vs No Limit Texas Hold'em Poker

Texas Hold’em is normally associated with the no limit version, which means you can wager all your money on one hand, with no limit to the amount.

However, limit Hold’em has become extremely popular online. In limit Hold’em the upper and lower limits for each wager is fixed for the whole game. Although diehard Texas Hold’em fans argue that this takes away a lot of the strategic play and wagering, there is no question that this version is the best learning ground for new poker players.

Let’s face it, who would want his whole bankroll wiped out with an unlucky call, especially if you just started playing and do not know the more advanced strategies?

But limit Hold’em differs a lot from its no limit cousin. Below are some of the more obvious differences. The following information is based on normal table play. If you are interest in playing tournaments, why not go to our tournament page.

Bluffing
In no limit Hold’em bluffing is an integral part of the game. Very few people are going to call you if you bet your whole stack of chips (or a very big portion) on a hand. You can have no hand whatsoever and still win the game.

In limit Hold’em bluffing becomes much more difficult. Due to the limits on wagering, a lot of people will continue to call until the last round, even if they have a weak hand. This means that if you have no hand or a very weak one you are going to lose the game.

Whereas in no limit Hold’em bluffing might work 50% of the time, in limit Hold’em it will work nearer to 5%.

Strength of hand
In no limit Hold’em people will normally fold before the flop if they do not have a good starting hand. You will only continue playing if you have enough confidence to throw a lot of money into the hand, as somebody might raise with a massive amount of chips.

In limit Hold’em most people at the table will stay in the hand until the end of the game as there is no way they can be forced out by wagering a big amount. This means that somebody with a good starting hand might get outdrawn on the turn or the river and somebody with a weak starting hand can win the game.

This will effectively negate any wagering strategies (which you commonly find in no limit Hold’em) and the person with the best hand is going to win the pot - not necessarily the same as in no limit.

Speed
The speed of a limit Hold’em hand will be a slower than a no limit hand. This is because a lot more players at the table will participate in each hand.

The turnover of people at the table will also be slower, as each person just wagers a small part of his bankroll.

As you can see, limit Hold’em is the safer choice, especially when first starting out. You will also need a totally different strategy when playing limit Hold’em.

However, if you want to jump right into playing no limit Hold’em, make sure to get our free guide.