There are many different ways to play poker, which is a big reason for its widespread appeal. There are endless poker variants, so everyone can find a form of poker that suits them. Once you’ve found a variant you like, there are still different formats and stakes you can choose from, like high-stakes tournaments or low-stakes cash games. Finally, there are different ways to win every game. Poker rewards players who know that one strategy is not enough, and they have to be adaptable to changing factors like the cards, their opponents, and their position.
There are also sub-variants of poker, which is what this poker guide will focus on. For Texas Holdem, the most popular way to play poker, its two main sub-variants have different betting rules: Fixed Limit and No Limit. We will explain their similarities and differences so you know which type to pick when playing Texas Holdem online.
Fixed limit and no limit similarities
There is exactly one major difference between the mechanics of the two games. For the most part, everything else is the same. Community cards, hole cards, rounds, and table positions are all consistent between the two. While there is only one difference, you should not underestimate its overall impact on the game’s strategy.
The big difference
The only major difference between the two is in their names. Fixed Limit Holdem has a bet size limit, while No Limit Holdem does not. While No Limit Holdem has a minimum amount you can bet, there is no maximum amount. Every bet must be at least the size of the big blind, and every raise should be at least the size of the previous bet. If someone bets $15 in a game with $5 blinds, you must raise at least $20 for the bet plus the blind amount. You can bet as much as you want in every betting round, even going all-in pre-flop. Finally, in No Limit Holdem, the blinds represent the game’s stakes, like a $0.25/$0.5 micro stakes game, where $0.25 is the small blind, and $0.5 is the big blind.
In Fixed Limit Holdem, you only get two bet sizes, which are allowed only on specific rounds. The first is the small bet, which is allowed pre-flop and on the flop. The second is the big bet, which is allowed on the turn and river. In Fixed Limit Holdem, the bet sizes represent the stakes, so a $2/$4 game would have a $2 small bet size and a $4 big bet size. The small bet equals the big blind, so a $2/$4 Limit Holdem game would have $1/$2 blinds. Raises are relative to the previous bet, and you can only add one small or big bet depending on the round. So, if someone raises $4 pre-flop in a $2/$4 game, someone can re-raise up to $6, and someone else can re-raise to $8. Once that happens, they have hit the four bets per round limit, making the round “capped,” and now players can only call or fold.
Fixed vs. No Limit
That change in betting structure has a massive overall impact on how the two game types play out. Here are some differences between them:
Where to play Texas Holdem
We hope this article helped you understand these two ways to play Texas Holdem poker. You can play excellent No Limit Holdem games on sites like GGPoker, the world’s largest poker room. GGPoker offers No Limit Holdem games of all stakes, so you can find one that fits your playstyle and bankroll. It also has a free poker tracker built into the website. That software analyzes your gameplay to find mistakes and is considered irreplaceable by many online poker pros.
