LIMIT
You should first check the statistics of the table.
You can see them when you highlight a table. First,
you're looking for a table with a low pot average, which
usually means the game is not aggressive and there's not
too many chasers. This is where you should start, to get
a “feel” for the game. Take into account how many
players are on the table when judging average pot sizes
because you don't want too many chasers (less people
large pots = chasing). For example, if the table has 10
people and the average pot is $3.00 and another table has
5 people and the average pot size is $3.00 also that
means the table with 5 people on it are betting/calling
more frequently. This may be good if you're a tight
player with a comfortable bankroll for that table as you
can sit and wait for a hand. If not, you will find
yourself losing to the blinds or forced to play loose. If
you're just starting out and don't have a large bankroll
to play with, do not play heads up because the other guy
may be aggressive and raise with anything. Then you'll be
playing bingo instead of poker. The only exception is if
you already have notes on that player and he/she is not
aggressive or your notes suggest you can beat this
person. Second, check the size of each players' bankroll,
it is not recommended to join a table where you are the
lowest stack by more than a 50% margin. Even though you
cannot get put all in on one bet, capping the betting on
one hand can put a serious dent in your stack, if you
lose. Remember the bullying strategy. Now, check how many
hands/per hour that table plays, the higher the number
the quicker the game meaning there's a lot of pre-flop
folding going on. This is a good thing as raising with a
group 1 hand and betting after the flop (if necessary)
will win the pot in most cases. Another statistic to
check is the flop %. This is the average percentage of
players that pay to see the flop. You can also double
click the room and you can watch the players play. Once
you're comfortable with the table join in.
Remember you are playing with real money now, not
chips and if your bankroll came from free rolling you
know how difficult it was to get here. In limit it is
very hard to bluff, if you do you must bluff all the way
to the showdown to have a chance to win the pot. So don't
try to bluff. The reason being is that there is only so
much you can bet per round. If your opponent(s)
check/calls, you can't raise enough to make them fold by
making the pot odds unfavorable for them to continue. If
your opponent is loose they will be checking and calling
all the way to the river unless they figure out that they
are drawing dead. Check/calling (checking then calling
the next bet) is used to somewhat control the betting for
whatever reason. Like luring more players in or chasing.
Most often if a player is check/calling two bets (a bet
and a raise), they most likely have hit something and is
sand bagging or if they check/raise on the river you want
to be careful as well.
In limit games you might want to try playing mid
suited connected cards or face rag suited IF the betting
is small. You can always muck after the flop if you don't
hit, can't chase or if you may be drawing dead. If you
don't hit a hand you should fold rather than chase
(unless everyone else has checked). The main reason is
because it is relatively cheap to call and see 3 cards.
This is the reason you should try to avoid playing heads
up or short handed where the odds are, an experienced
player will raise with almost anything especially if they
have a much larger stack than yours in order to weed out
the weaker players. Playing these hands will also depend
if the cards are coming for you, if not then play tight
until the cards start coming. If you plan to start
playing more starting hands consider starting off on
tables with 6 or more people so you won't have to pay the
blinds as often. The same thing applies when you are
betting, most likely someone will call in hopes of
hitting something, especially pre-flop.
POT LIMIT / NO LIMIT
We group these together as you should play them
similarly and carefully. The similarities between no
limit and free rolls is that in one hand, or one bet you
can lose your whole stack. If your whole stack is your
entire bankroll then you're busted. That means back to
free rolling. The key here, maybe more than anything, is
patience. You MUST wait for a "monster" hand to
play if you have a limited stack.
Before you join a table, make sure you can afford to
be on that table. Make sure you can cover 100 times the
bb AND everyone else's stack is relatively close in
amount as yours. If not you can count on being bullied
AND if you make a strong move you probably will get
called by a large stack with a mediocre hand, thus
allowing yourself to be rivered. Therefore it would be
wise to minimize this risk by picking opponents with
similar stack sizes. Pot size average may not be as
relevant as in limit because an all in or two would make
the pot average unreliable. To be safe, just open up the
table and watch a few hands before sitting down and
putting in your stack.
With regards to betting remember that this is not a
free roll so don't go all in unless you absolutely have
to. Usually a bet 3-4 times the bb will be sufficient to
weed out the weaker hands. Keep in mind that bluffing is
a large part of no limit as well so be on guard. Pick
your hands carefully and bet accordingly. Watch carefully
how your opponents' betting styles when holding certain
hands (if it gets to showdown and you get to see what
they're holding), this will give you a better picture on
how to adjust your play. You can be certain your
opponents are doing the same. Remember to use the 'notes'
feature. Almost all sites have it, usually to get it,
just left or right click (or double click) the player
name and a box should pop up for you to enter notes.
Sometimes it is located in the chat area.
As with any game, if you find yourself in a betting
war, you can always leave. Try not to tilt. Of course if
you're on the positive side of the war then keep at it,
remember to make a note of these players so you can find
them some other day. Most sites have a "find
player" function. To be successful in no-limit you
must be well versed in all the strategies, have plenty of
patience and play tight. Remember the rule...if you don't
stick your chips in you can't lose them. When you do put
your chips in make sure you have a solid starting hand.
Micro no limit will have a lot of free roll players and
many may carry over the same play style so be wary, catch
them when you can.
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