Hello. Id like to know anyones thought's regarding Limit Holdem. Is it worth learning this game or is No Limit worth my time improving on. I think ill always be some what of a recreational player but my next vegas trip will be in 2 years time and i want to take the next two years to learn the game better. I dont no if its my lack of skill in No Limit that stops me feom playing properly as opposed to me playing scared. So thats why i want to see if Limit is worth learning for 2 years to play a lot of it in vegas. Last year i did play 2-6 spread and i liked ot more as my whole stack wasnt at risk most hands. I think id be happy playing up to $4/$8 live in vegas. I will also play online too to learn along with poker tracker or holdem manager to review my previous play to plug leaks etc.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks.

To be completely honest limit holdem is practically dead in Vegas . Especially if you want to play that low .... I mean they got games at the Orleans 24/7 but you'll be playing against old retired regs and see every flop 5 or 6 ways , which is practically bingo at that point anyway.


So to answer your question , definitely definitely start focusing on no limit

Thanks

You dislike the one feature of the game that makes it profitable? When your opponents play poorly, that's how you make profit.
Vegas might be the one place around where you can beat 4/8, due to low rake. Certainly the Bellagio 4/8 game with a 1/2 kill can be beaten.
Worth it is a strange question. Why do you play poker? I'm assuming if you're working for a trip in 2 years, it is because you enjoy poker. If so, play the game you like the most. If you do a short trip, variance will matter a lot in your results. In LHE you won't lose a few $200 buyins in a few hands. You'll also likely have a better chance to win as an underdog. However, if NL is more fun, play that. If things go really well luck-wise, you'll make more in NL.

Honestly, if you're going to play online for 2 years to get ready for Vegas, make sure that you're practicing the game you like. Start playing micros. Learn. Have fun. Then the Vegas trip will be even better.

Fundamentally, the concept that LHE has less variance than NL is flawed.

Small stakes LHE standard deviation is about 15 big bets per hour; small stakes NL about 80 big blinds per hour. That means 1/2 NL is equal variance with about 5/10 LHE. That means that games like 3/6 LHE (or 2-6 SLHE) are smaller than 1/2 NL, not that they have less variance per se. It'd be like wanting to play 0.5/1 NL over 1/2 NL because there's less variance - dollarwise yes, functionally not really. Mathematically, the swinginess will match the ratio of SD/WR. In NL, you should be able to achieve a WR of 5-10 bb/hr, or a ratio of 8-15. In LHE, WR is 0-1 BB/hr, or ratios of 15+. So you'll never lose $200 at a single 4/8 LHE hand, but you'll very easily lose $200 over a 2-hour session. And if you're good at NL, you shouldn't break even for more than a hundred hours or so, but even if you're good at LHE, you can break even for several hundred hours.

What if you're a beginner at each game? You'll have a low WR at each... Sure, for the best NL players, the SD/WR part is in your favor. It is also possible to have a much bigger negative WR in NL.

I think just the knowledge that you can't lose your stack on the first hand you're dealt in limit makes the game more comfortable and enjoyable for the normal rec.

There have been many times recently when I wished I had just picked up NL instead due to games being bad/breaking early etc. But as a rec with a small gambling budget, limit makes more sense for me now.

If you feel your bad at poker, play limit .
More chance to make money in limit than NL in a short period of play ( like a trip) when your bad or break even.

If you like playing many hands to the river, then play limit.

If you like winning less often, yet bigger pots, then play no limit.

I think it's possible in either 6/12 LHE or 1/2 NL to become a winner solely from information archived in the stickied posts.

But point taken - if you're losing money, variance helps you rather than hurts you.

If you want to have fun play 4-8 at The Orleans where you can get as drunk as you want and play lots of hands w/o being terrified that you'll get stacked. That's my 2 cents.

Btw, getting 6+:1 on your money is a damn fine feature of limit.

Untrue. Some games are like that, but some are filled with aggro action players.

fyp

OP, what matters most is where you're going to learn. Is there a nearby casino with LHE? If not, it's going to be hard to learn.

You should try to figure out how to hold your own in NL. Easier to tell if you're a winner.

i love LHE and think it's a lot more fun than NL.

+1

Also, you never hear a limit player say "oh I thought it was a limit game, **** this no limit it's so boring." and quit after two hands.

Yet nl players do this to me at least once a week.

...as if I needed another reason to respect this guy.

Being in the Chicago area I feel like lhe is dying but I've been playing successfully for over 10 years. It can be tough finding 10/20 or higher games and I often wonder if I should make the switch back. How popular is lhe in other parts of the us? Last time I was in vegas the bellagio felt like the only place to play limit

If you're a genius making millions at the NYSE, then almost certainly not.

Try LA.

As an infrequent player I like limit. I don't lose a lot but can play for a long time. I enjoy the game at the Flamingo.
Another choice is if you want to try something different, get into a cheap tournament. Again you can only lose so much and it gives you a chance to shove all in, if that's you fancy.

Pretty much the same whenever i play live. And it's a statement that i don't understand at all ... since you're getting more hands per hour in limit and probably playing more hands because it is looser. Maybe it's their subconscious way of telling everyone they're playing tight?

Learn multiple games. Multidisciplinary education is undervalued.

This is referring to live.

No it isn't unless you live in LA.

But even there, if you want to think long-term, the live limit crowd is typically 33+, and most of the the younger players that are just getting into poker are taking up NL. Which means limit is dying a slow death.

ive always thought that if youre smart enough to beat poker for like 50, 60k a year, youre smart enough to make more than that and have a better life at a normal job. I couldnt imagine trying to be a poker pro today.

Hi rodeo! Long time no type, life treatin' y'all okay?

I agree BTW that LHE>NL. And IMHO PLO is the most fun game I've ever played. I'll never forget you teaching me badugi (sp) and those other weird games though.

To the OP: +1 to everyone saying play the game you find the most fun.