Switching from limit to no-limit

[DiscreetCat]

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[martidani]

Are you playing live or online? There are some differences

[PerpetualCzech]

Well, in Limit your only options are (Check or Bet) if you are first to act or (Fold, Call or Raise) if someone has already bet. In No Limit you have the added complication that if you Bet or Raise, you have many different options of exactly how much to go with. Stack sizes are everything. If you have a sharp brain for math and are the kind of person who can quickly process several What-If scenarios at the same time and decide which course is best, then that would certainly help.

Personally when I started out I was NOT this type of person. I usually need more time to think about something to figure it out, especially if I am new to it. So a decision that may seem obvious to me afterwards but not at the table (like Donk Move #2 in my Aussie Millions thread) doesn't help me very much :)

Also, reading your other players becomes much more important. If you think you'll be able to read their tendencies better than they can read yours, then that's a big plus. This was also a problem for me because normally people can read me like a book. I really had to work hard on this part of my game but just recently I think I've made big strides in this area.

[PerpetualCzech]

By the way, Custer might have some good comments for you. He's was a winning poker player for years, both Limit and No Limit. He's on the road though now and it might take a while before he sees the thread.

[custer]

Do you want recs on which game to play or on how to play no limit?

[custer]

The 2 books I'd recommend are The Theory of Poker by David Sklansky and Kill Everyone by Lee Nelson. Those 2 should give you answers to most of the questions you're posing here.

[martidani]

The 2 books I'd recommend are The Theory of Poker by David Sklansky and Kill Everyone by Lee Nelson. Those 2 should give you answers to most of the questions you're posing here.


I don't know if these books are good for anwering his questions or not. I do know that they will not make him much more than a penny in live no limit cash games

[custer]

I don't know if these books are good for anwering his questions or not. I do know that they will not make him much more than a penny in live no limit cash games

I may be behind the times, and live no-limit was never my game, but in every book on poker I've ever read (I've not read King Yao's book), there are glaring inaccuracies, except for those 2. While they might not answer DC's specific questions in the OP (btw, they're unanswerable without more info anyway, its like asking 'who do you bet when one horse is 4 to 1 and another is 8 to 1), they will make sure he is thinking in the best manner to help him come up with the right answers himself.

[wtf is going on?]

Here is my book on poker: look to play the nuts against suckers.

Its how most "poker pros" made their money. don't let anyone tell you otherwise, that you have those sharp edges, by making these math moves that just keep your opponents in a mind fuck.

problem is that the suckers are less and less because there is too much information out there compared to ten years ago, and those with money to burn just don't have it.

regardless, you will always have the drunks to play with and you can shop your ass off. but just remember step one and that is all you need to know about poker.

good luck.

[custer]

Here is my book on poker: look to play the nuts against suckers.

Its how most "poker pros" made their money. don't let anyone tell you otherwise, that you have those sharp edges, by making these math moves that just keep your opponents in a mind fuck.

problem is that the suckers are less and less because there is too much information out there compared to ten years ago, and those with money to burn just don't have it.

regardless, you will always have the drunks to play with and you can shop your ass off. but just remember step one and that is all you need to know about poker.

good luck.

"and that is all you need to know about poker"

says the guy currently looking for a job (read at another forum)

[Craps Master]

PC, i've been giving some thought to playing no-limit, which is a game i've played only a handful of times in the past (i'm strictly a limit player). What recommendations would you make to anyone looking to make that move?

Surprisingly enough, wtf is going on is actually pretty close to the mark. When you first switch to no-limit you want to play mega tight and just beat people up with great hands. I've always recommended Phil Gordon's Little Green Book for NL cash game newbies. It advocates a very tight style of play with minimal screwing around. It also has a starting hands chart in the back which is just about right for someone new to the game, which is to say, extremely tight and very positionally-oriented. If you're playing in live cash games, this approach will actually still win money all the way up to 10/20, and sometimes even in bigger games. You can literally play "by the book" at the medium-stakes live games and win money (and pretty good money, at that).

If you're playing online and trying to break into NL, all I can really tell you is "good luck."

[NFLguy]

"and that is all you need to know about poker"

says the guy currently looking for a job (read at another forum)

But there is an element of truth in what he says. Most players lose because they get involved in too many hands, especially when out of position. Once in a hand, it is necessary to understand the betting habits of your opponents. Some people bet every flop, particularly if they have raised before the flop, so their bet may be meaningless. Some people call on any draw, through the turn, only to fold on the river. And, when some people call, you might as well throw your hand away; In any event, don't ever overcall. So be a student in every hand, as an observer when you are not involved in the action, and observe how people interface when you are involved in the betting action. It is very important to listen to the chatter of players when they are involved in a pot. Some of the best "tells" come from the banter of a player.