Limit v. No Limit: Buy-In Difference?

[KipBond]

OK. This is probably a really stupid question, but I'm strictly a No-Limit player... I should play Limit too, but it's just not as fun for me.

Question is: why is the standard buy-in for Limit the same as the usual 100BB capped buy-in for No-Limit?

In Limit, what's the max BBs you can put into a pot on a single hand (3-raise max)? 12, right? In NL: 100+ (your entire stack).

Yet the buy-in is the same for both games, right? Or do Limit players not normally buy in for 100BB? What's the standard? Is there a max? Not sure why there should be. What's the standard minimum buy-in?

(Just checked out Full Tilt: seems no max, 5BB minimum. Is that standard in casinos too?)

[DWarrior]

In limit there is never a max because it's a fixed bet game, so your stack is almost entirely irrelevant. You just want to buy enough to ensure that you can play a hand capped on every street till the river. You can technically sit with $1M in your local 4/8 game, but that would be inconvenient.

I think the standard is 50xBB or 100xBB (I haven't played limit in a couple of years, so don't remember anymore), and it's basically just so you have enough stack to be able to lose hands and not have to worry about reloading. You're right, 12 BBs is the max you can lose in a Limit hand, and slightly more if there is no cap when HU (usually if it's only HU, players can raise/re-raise infinitely, but usually there's no point in more than 4-6 bets)

Sitting with 100xBB at each table though will basically guarantee that you never have to reload.

[ottsville]

Unless you suck - 25-30 BB is plenty in limit games.

The default buy in for games varies from site to site. IIRC, I've seen defaults as low as 15BB to around 25BB. I don't recall ever seeing a cap on the buy in. Live I have heard of a minimum buy in, but not seen it enforced.

I don't know of any online games that play it this way, but live there is often no cap on any street that begins heads up, so you can put in a more than 12BB in a hand.

[KipBond]

Thanks. That's what I was thinking, just wanted to make sure. Is 5BB the normal minimum buy-in? I'm not sure why someone would want to buy-in short at a Limit game, though.

[The_Bankroll]

I always bought in for 25-30BB. and I think pokerstars actually does have a max of 100k on it's low limit games, not that it actually matters.

[Small Fry]

Limit all you need to have in your stack is 12x bb (big bet). Assuming 4 bet max on each street. After that it's all fluff...lol. Really it's just for convenience, at least in a B&M. Setting the min buy in at a decent level keeps the game moving as players will need to rebuy less often. This isn't necessary online as a player reloading doesn't effect play. If you see a really low buy in level, this is just to encourage players into thinking they can play without needing much money.

Another factor that comes into play though is that once the money is on the table it doen't come off, unless the player leaves. So again having a decent minimum effectively puts more money in play. THink about it. Would you rather sit at a 3/6 limit game where everyone has $100 minimum (remember max pot could be $72 - rarely happens though) or at a table where everyone only has $30-$60.