NL v LHE: which is more skill?

smellmuth · #1 08-10-2006, 02:24 AM

im sure this has been discussed ad nauseum, im search-incompetent.

Scary_Tiger · #2 08-10-2006, 04:27 AM

You can win mad bucks lower on the learning curve in No Limit than Limit.

It is harder to be an expert player in No Limit than it is to be an expert player in Limit.

PokeHer426 · #3 08-10-2006, 11:40 AM

I havent played a lot of limit, but from what I have read in books etc, it is much more mechanical in the sense that, when this happens, do that and this. And you can, a lot of the time force your opponents into making the correct decisions, so IMO NL is the more skillful of the 2

AKQJ10 · #4 08-10-2006, 12:13 PM

Painting or sculpture: Which is more skill?

There may be some arguments for each side here: http://poker.wikia.com/wiki/Limit_versus_no-limit_hold_'em . But really, in many ways it's more a matter of taste (as well as pragmatic considerations, e.g. how much dead money is coming into each? Does your local cardroom run into laws banning NLHE? Etc.)

FW Andy · #5 08-11-2006, 12:42 PM

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Painting or sculpture: Which is more skill?

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I couldn't agree more. Completely different skill sets for each. I've witnessed good players at both being completely out of their element in the other. I've noticed it when a predominantly no limit player sits at a limit table. They get constantly frustrated about not being able to bet enough to protect their hands against draws etc. And on the flip side, I've seen limit players not be able to manipulate pot odds and not play hands that can actually be profitable in limit but can get crushed in NL etc.

FW Andy · #6 08-11-2006, 12:56 PM

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I havent played a lot of limit, but from what I have read in books etc, it is much more mechanical in the sense that, when this happens, do that and this. And you can, a lot of the time force your opponents into making the correct decisions, so IMO NL is the more skillful of the 2

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Certain things in NL may be more skillful but I'll Devils' advocate on this one and make the argument that you need to be more skilled in Limit because you have to consistently and constantly have to push and exploit small advantages to really succeed where as in NL you can bang one or two big moves to come out on top.

rsliu · #7 08-11-2006, 01:51 PM

At lower limits, Limit is way tougher because of rake considerations. In NL, fish are losing most of their money to you, and some of their money to rake. In Limit, fish are losing most of their money to rake, and some of their money to you. As a result, a good 1/2 NL player can probably make as much if not more than a good 5/10 or maybe even 10/20 Limit player, and 5/10 Limit is way harder to play well than 1/2 NL.

At higher limits, rake becomes a non issue, and the comparison is more of a wash. Even here though, I would argue that limit is harder. In NL, if you are otherwise awful at poker but possess excellent hand reading skills, I believe you can be a decently profitable high stakes player. In Limit, there is simply no way to profit at high stakes without a combination of skills that interact with one another in complex ways. For a good example of what I'm saying, read some of the posts on HSNL and HS Limit. Many NL posts are focused on psychology, often involving discussions about a particular player and whether he would make X move on Y board. Limit posts, by contrast, involve tons of strategy.

AKQJ10 · #8 08-12-2006, 02:26 AM

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5/10 Limit is way harder to play well than 1/2 NL.

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Are we talking live or online?

I haven't played a ton of live $5/10 LHE, but I can confirm that doing an "easy" sudoku is substantially tougher than beating live $1-2 NLHE.

ConfusedAgain · #9 08-12-2006, 01:16 PM

$1-2 NL and $5-$10, seem about similar in risk of money, anyway, No limit is more difficult to learn at a pro level due to lessening mistakes and reads are critical. Many players do not find $1-2 NL easy (I wish I did).

DONTUSETHIS · #10 08-12-2006, 01:48 PM

i say limit has more skill, IN NL at levels below 5-10 anyway, you can be a very average player and win if you dont make a lot of huge math errors ( drawing with very poor odds) if you have the goods in big pots. NL is kinda simple, wait wait wait, get a big hand play a big pot.