Starting off - Limit or NL?

johnnydrama · #1 09-30-2006, 03:05 PM

Does starting off in Limit make you any better for NL or are the two games different enough that separate skills are needed?

Right now my BR is small so I figure I should stay in Limit and not risk my entire roll on variance. However, the game can be a bit of a grind especially at the micro limits. Making a dollar for an hour's worth of work just doesn't do it for me.

I like NL since I first got introduced to Hold'em via tournaments. I do fairly decent at torunaments usually in the money or just shy, sometimes winning.

Ignoring BR for a moment, would you recommend someone learning and beating Limit at a decent limit before moving over to NL cash?

Thanks

dedenburn · #2 09-30-2006, 03:24 PM

It sounds like you would rather play NL, so I would say that's what you should do. It's not like you have to master limit before moving to NL...the games are so different. I'm a pretty good limit player, but I get my ass kicked playing NL. If you're concerned about your BR, why not stick to tournaments for a while to build it up before moving on?

helloimcdog · #3 09-30-2006, 06:04 PM

just go ahead and start with no limit, just because both games are hold em doesnt mean you graduate from limit to no limit, they are entirely two separate beasts. start off with nl and get the basics down, if you are concerned about BR issues, play the micro stakes until you understand the game well enough to play higher stakes. don't expect to be making 100 dollars an hour on your first night.

PantsOnFire · #4 09-30-2006, 09:51 PM

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Does starting off in Limit make you any better for NL or are the two games different enough that separate skills are needed?

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Both games have the same basic fundamentals. However, they do need separate skills for several reasons.

[ QUOTE ]
Right now my BR is small so I figure I should stay in Limit and not risk my entire roll on variance. However, the game can be a bit of a grind especially at the micro limits. Making a dollar for an hour's worth of work just doesn't do it for me.

[/ QUOTE ]
Well that is true about the grind of Limit but keep in mind that in NL you can lose your stack with one click.

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I like NL since I first got introduced to Hold'em via tournaments. I do fairly decent at torunaments usually in the money or just shy, sometimes winning.

[/ QUOTE ]
NL tournaments are a lot safer on your BR than NL cash games.

[ QUOTE ]
Ignoring BR for a moment, would you recommend someone learning and beating Limit at a decent limit before moving over to NL cash?

[/ QUOTE ]
That's a tough question. I've always thought that Limit is a game that a fresh beginner should start with. The basic reason is that you cannot lose your money as fast as you can in NL. To start out in Holdem, you need to play hands and get experience. It has always struck me that NL is not the place to do this.

I have found NL cash games to be the most volatile on my BR. And I have always used Limit games to clear bonus requirements. NL SnGs are my favourite domain since you sign up for a fixed amount of money and are usually good for 1/2 to one hour of NL play with no further monetary risk. Big NL tournaments are a lot tougher to cash but a good session can obviously pay you a lot more. However, be prepared to play 2 to 3 hours and get nothing in return a lot of the time.

Unfortunately, NL cash and NL tourneys are also two different beasts. If NL is your bag, I would suggest going into SnGs with both feet.

Vince. · #5 10-01-2006, 12:46 AM

How big is your bankroll? I find that NL ring games, especially low stakes can be a great way to build a bankroll with tight play. The variance in NL isn't as bad as one might think when compared to limit. Some may even tell you that the variance is greater in limit holdem. In my experience online limit ring games are much tougher than NL, even at lower stakes. If you want juicy limit games, head to a B&M casino. As long as you can get together about 20 buyins for a NL game you should be fine with the variance. You can find NL games as low as a $5 buyin (possibly even lower) online.

kinghippo423 · #6 10-01-2006, 01:10 AM

NL tournaments are a lot safer on your BR than NL cash games? Can you explain more on that beacause I always thought Cash Game had less variance so more safe to the BR.

Vince. · #7 10-01-2006, 01:28 AM

If you have enough buyins (around 20) in your bankroll, NL cash games should be plenty safe for your br, especially for a tight player at lower limits. As long as you don't tilt too much/move up when you have a downswing you should be fine.

PantsOnFire · #8 10-01-2006, 01:54 AM

[ QUOTE ]
NL tournaments are a lot safer on your BR than NL cash games? Can you explain more on that beacause I always thought Cash Game had less variance so more safe to the BR.

[/ QUOTE ]
One table NL SnG games are lower variance than NL cash games, IMHO. For example a BR of 20 buyins for a $5 SnG ($105) will give you 15-20 hours of poker and you likely will still have money left over. You can lose $105 in a NL cash game with one click of the mouse.

Big field NL tournaments are very high variance and a completely different beast.