NL or Limit in the beginning?

[eFe]

Hi!

I'm new to online poker (as well as live) and would like some recommendations about where to start, NL or Limit? I would also like to know which site you think I should try. I'm going to deposit about $300 if that helps.

Thanks

[AKQJ10]

This is a frequently asked question. One opinion is here:

http://poker.wikia.com/wiki/Beginner...mit_hold_.27em

Another list of advantages/disadvantages is here:

http://poker.wikia.com/wiki/NLHE

My opinion is that you should learn to play whichever you prefer to learn. Others will proffer strong opinions, but I don't find them convincing.

[tomtemor]

I agree with the previous poster as long as you think you'll be comfortable playing NL right off the bat. I started with limit and I think it was a good way to leard about the strenght of hands and it also felt good to not having to risk my whole stack in one single hand.

[cambraceres]

[ QUOTE ]
I agree with the previous poster as long as you think you'll be comfortable playing NL right off the bat. I started with limit and I think it was a good way to leard about the strenght of hands and it also felt good to not having to risk my whole stack in one single hand.

[/ QUOTE ]

In the beginning it is very easy to get confused about alot of things, my advice is to stick with the one you intend to play. NL can be daunting, but limit is no easier to play, this is a myth, one which can lose you money.

Cambraceres

[smbruin22]

my opinion (FWIW, probably not much) is this:

i think it is completely crazy to play no-limit first... i think limit teaches you the card flow/values in a much lower risk way...

one advantage of no-limit being played first is that it will teach you really fast that K9o is a poor starting hand. the learning curve will be more painful but hopefully alot steeper.

[AKQJ10]

[ QUOTE ]
i think it is completely crazy to play no-limit first... i think limit teaches you the card flow/values in a much lower risk way...

[/ QUOTE ]

If you compare $0.05/0.10 limit to $0.02-0.05 blinds NL (same blind structure), then this would be accurate because the bet sizes accelerate so much faster in NL. But that's an apples-to-oranges comparison. If you play something like $0.01-0.02 starting with the smallest stack they'll let you buy in for, say 50 cents or $1, then the risk isn't really greater.

[AKQJ10]

OK, this is a FAQ even among FAQs so I'm trying to get this content better organized. I just compiled all the arguments from elsewhere around the wiki at Limit versus no-limit hold 'em. I deleted some of this content from the Beginners FAQ, so if anyone has any objections to how it's organized now feel free to go improve it.

[ilovethisgame]

my suggestion is to sit down with the entire $300 at a table. make your screen name, newbie or fish or something. then, first hand, push all-in. instant doubleup.

seriously, play NL if that's what you want to play. i agree that LHE is a way to ensure your money lasts longer.

the easiest way to play NL would be to play SNGs or MTTs.

[AKQJ10]

[ QUOTE ]
the easiest way to play NL would be to play SNGs or MTTs.

[/ QUOTE ]

That's a good point -- a $1 S&G gives you a lot of play for not much money, especially if you want to learn to play tournaments.

MTT's in my opinion are too high-variance for a beginner's staple game; you could play for months without knowing if you're a winning player or not. (Admittedly, I keep saying to play the game you want to master. If you want to master MTTs then I suppose you should can just start out playing them. But be prepared for lots of variance.)

[theJoblessWobbly]

Where do you find these $1 SnGs? I've never seen any.