talk me out of playing no limit

[SheridanCat]

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I actually think you'll find no-limit hold'em to have a smaller variance than limit hold'em. Of course, it can be played in such a way that the swings are greater, but I think the conventional wisdom is that NL swings less.

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I'm pretty sure the conventional wisdom is the opposite of this.

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I'm more sure that it's not. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

I'll fine some citations tomorrow unless someone can beat me to it.

Regards,

T

[SheridanCat]

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Try short-handed limit. Lots of action even if you only play 30% of your hands. Plus, it prevents massive single-hand losses while you're learning.

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I would argue that SH limit has the wildest swings. While single hand losses may not be severe, you can lose a lot of them quickly.

Regards,

T

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[ QUOTE ]
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I actually think you'll find no-limit hold'em to have a smaller variance than limit hold'em. Of course, it can be played in such a way that the swings are greater, but I think the conventional wisdom is that NL swings less.

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I'm pretty sure the conventional wisdom is the opposite of this.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm more sure that it's not. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

I'll fine some citations tomorrow unless someone can beat me to it.

Regards,

T

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I came up empty-handed thus far but will continue to look. Feel free to beat me to it.

[Mal_Pais]

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No Limit Texas Hold 'Em is the Cadillac of poker. The key to the game is playing the man, not the cards. There's no other game in which fortunes can change so much hand to hand. A brilliant player can get a strong hand cracked, go on tilt and lose his mind along with every single chip in front of him. This is why the World Series of Poker is decided over a No Limit Hold 'Em table. Some people, pros even, won't play No Limit - they cant handle the swings. But there are others that consider No-limit the only pure game left."

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[img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

Give them all a try (full ring limit, 6-max limit, full ring NL, 6-max NL) and see which one you like the best.

[Altaslim]

I don't have any citations other than my experience and the experience of other highly regarded players here. I may give you that variance between the games is pretty similar at the lower limits (a lot of donks will call your push with a flush draw for $20 or so), but mid-limit NL and above has a much more stable curve. FWIW, I play 15/30 SH limit and 5/10 SH NL to the tune of about 30K hands/month.

[JackCase]

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However, lately I've been thinking that I might prefer no limit. I enjoy limit ring poker, and I belive I have what it takes to be a winning player. But mucking 80+% of the hands I'm delt doesn't exactly make for an exciting night at the table. I'm thinking (although I could be wrong) that playing short handed no limit or no limit S-n-Gs might have more action, and therefore be more interesting.

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It depends on where you are in your poker education and development. Don't just believe that you have what it takes, know it from proven results and good records before moving up from full low limit ring games. There is more action in short-handed games, and therefore you are making more decisions and potentially winning or losing more money.

Mucking 80+% of your hands is going to be the correct strategy in most games. You don't play poker for excitement, you play for money. (At least I do. I hate excitement.) SnGs are going to be the same thing in the early levels: fold, fold, fold. They don't get exciting until around the bubble.

All of that said, once you really learn the game, NL (either ring or SnG) is probably the best place to make money. The reason for this is TV. All the fish watch TV and want to be like Gus Hansen and shove it all in the pot. Many noobs jump into NL without really learning poker.

[donkeyradish]

If your goal is to make money and have fun then I'd pick limit
If its to have fun and make money I'd pick no limit

[jmillerdls]

SNG's have the least variance, and require small bankrolls to get started (assuming you start at the low limit tournies). Not to mention they are the easiest form of poker to win at with the least amount of skill required. It, however, is nothing like any other form of poker.