Poker limits
Poker limits have a significant impact on the game. In a gaming session, as a rule, three main betting structures are used: Fixed Limit, No-Limit and Pot-Limit. In this article, we will tell you how each of them works.
Poker limits: Fixed Limit
A Fixed Limit, which is most often indicated in poker rooms like FL, used to be the most commonly used betting structure. Now players prefer the No-Limit system more, but we will talk about it later.
In a game with a Fixed Limit, players will be able to bet and raise only fixed amounts. There are two bet sizes in poker: small and big blinds. For example, in In Texas Hold’em, small bets are applied on the preflop and flop, and large bets are applied in the turn and river betting rounds.
The exact amount of the bet sizes is determined by the game’s bets. The tournament, designated as $10/20, is equivalent to small bets of $10 and large bets of $20. The big blind is usually equal to the small bet, and the small blind is equal to this amount, reduced by half. Based on this, in a Fixed-Limit Hold’em of $10/$20, the blinds will be $5 and $10.
Let’s look at some examples of a Fixed-Limit in Texas Hold’em game with a buy-in of $10/$20 in different rounds:
- The first round is preflop.
There are three players at the poker table. The first player puts a small blind in the amount of five dollars. The second poker player makes a big blind of $ 10. The third player goes first, and he has three options for action: fold the cards, support the big blind bet, or raise the bet to $20 (the raise must be exactly $10).
- The second round is a flop.
The first player checks. The second player can check or bet $10.
- The third round is a turn.
The first player bets $20. The second poker player can fold, call, or raise the bet to $40.
- The fourth round is the river.
There are five players at the poker table – A, B, C, D and E. Player A bets $20. Player B raises from $20 to $40. Player D raises from $20 to $80. Player E can only equalize or discard the cards.
Poker limits: No-Limit
The No-Limit betting system in poker has become the most popular. Here, poker players should constantly think about their bets’ size because the absence of limits gives them much more freedom. But there are also restrictions here: a player can only bet up to the number of chips that are at the table.
The bets in the No-Limit game depend on the size of the blinds. In a game with the designation 2$/4$, the small blinds will be equal to 2 dollars, and the big ones will be equal to 4 dollars. Players who open a betting round must always place a bet at least the size of the big blind. Players who raise must always raise their bet by at least the amount of the previous bet.
Let’s look at examples of No-Limt bets in the game 2$/4$ in various rounds:
- The first round is preflop.
There are three players at the table. The first player makes a small blind of two dollars. The second player makes a big blind of four dollars. There’s $60 on the table. The third player can: fold the cards, call $4 or raise the bet. The minimum raise, in this case, will be $4, and the maximum – $56.
- The second round is a flop.
The first player checks. There’s $100 on the table. The second player has several options for the move: to check, to bet from $4 to $100, to raise from $4 to $56 (the total bet is $60).
- The third round is a turn.
The first player bets $20. The second one raises up to $50. The third poker player has $90, so he can either fold, call $50, or raise the bet, where the minimum raise will be $30, and the maximum raise will be $40.
Poker Limits: Pot-Limit
The Pot-Limit is considered one of the most complex betting structures in poker. It is most often found in Omaha.
The size of the current pot determines the maximum amount that you can bet or raise. The pot contains all the bets made in the current round and the amount that the player must make to equalize any previous bet.
How the Pot-Limit works in poker can be seen in the examples, where the buy-in is $2/$4:
- Round one – preflop.
The first player makes a small blind – two dollars. The second player makes a big blind – four dollars. There are no chips in the pot because this is the first round. In the current round, a bet of 6 chips was made. To answer the current bet, you need to equalize it. The pot’s limit on preflop is 10 dollars (0$+6$+4$).
If the third player wants to raise, he can raise the bet to $10.
- Round two – flop.
Let’s say there is $42 in the pot after a betting round. The first player bets $25. The second one raises from $25, and the total bet is $50. You need to answer the current bet with 50 dollars.
The pot’s limit is $117 (42$+25$+50$). If the third poker player wants to raise, the maximum amount will be $117.
We hope that our note was useful for you and you were able to understand how the poker limits work. And we remind you that on our you can find a lot of useful information about poker, online poker rooms and current promotional offers.