[engineer_mba]

Hi jordiepop,

When I first started, I played, NL cash games and tourneys exclusively. But after some time I transitioned to limit, and I enjoy it much more. I believe that I am the first person to respond to this post who prefers limit, and I will explain my rationale.

First, I assure you it has nothing to do with risking an entire stack on one hand. Poker sites offer games any where from NL games with a $5 buy-in to limit games with blinds of $100/$200. An astute gambler should be able to find a spread online he is comfortable with regardless of game type.

Second, Dodgball88 made a very valid statement about the analytical/math background of limit. Some hands in NL are extremely valuable because of the tremendous implied odds. In limit this is not the case. If every round is capped, an opponent still only puts in 12bb (or $24 in a $1/$2 game). Many people new to limit simply don't grasp this concept and how it impacts specific hands.

Third, I have found my personal variance to be lower in limit. Although, I am by no means an expert, my theory is that in NL a villian can play poorly, make bad calls and win my entire stack based on a suck out. Conversely, in limit if I am in the same situation of having very good, but not nut hand I can merely go for a cheap showdown. This means I get the bonus of relatively big pots when I have a great hand, and some protection to keep the pot smaller with marginal hands assuming my opponent is trying to make the pot large. Also, heads up I know exactly how much it will cost to draw a card since it can never cost me more than a single bet. Remember, the limited bet size affects your opponent as much as it does you.

Fourth, I am not a professional player so winning the most money per hour is not the most important thing to me. I play poker for the enjoyment, and I enjoy limit more. At the live casinos, there seems to be more talking, socializing at the low limit tables. None of the players there have any real chance of earning substantial money, but it is a fantastic way to spend an evening with some friends.

Fifth, I will not comment on which is more profitable because I don't consider myself an expert player in either. But, I do hope you will consider that for some people profit isn't the only thing to consider when selecting a poker game.

Just my two cents,

Leo