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  1. Fixed Limit Holdem Tournament Strategygy
  2. Fixed Limit Holdem Tournament Strategy Payout
  3. Fixed Limit Holdem Tournament Strategy Rules
  4. Fixed Limit Hold'em Strategy

Tournament Poker Strategy: Main Components. Firstly, we'll discuss the 5 key poker tournament strategy tips that novices and intermediate tournament players need to concentrate on to become tough tournament opponents. You know, the sort of player nobody wants to look up and see at their table. Sep 04, 2020 This means that in this game the lower fixed limit is $2 while the higher fixed limit is $4. Hold'em poker functions with a rotating dealer. This means regardless of who's actually dealing the cards, the dealer in the game is the player with the plastic 'Dealer' button in front of them. Texas Holdem Tournament Strategy. Some of the top professional poker players are able to consistently win while playing both Texas holdem ring games and tournaments. But most players focus on one or the other to maximize their skills and chances for overall profit. While the basic game and rules are the same, the strategy.


Tournament

Ever since the events of Black Friday, when a significant portion of the world player pool disappeared overnight, limit Holdem poker and PLO games have dried up considerably.

A lot of the limit variants were American favourites, and with most of the US based players out of the game for the foreseeable future, everybody seemed to gravitate towards NL or PLO. Things didn't die off completely though. A cursory check of the Pokerstars lobby shows that there are still some die hards playing the fixed limit offerings, and if my own experiences are to be trusted then it would appear that there are also plenty of inexperienced players looking to try something new.

What was noticeable though, was that there seems to be as many players sat at 8 Game tables as the rest of the limit tables put together. It may be the case, that if you are up for testing the waters away from the comfort of NL/PLO, and you intend to play a respectable amount of volume, then 8 Game could well be the way to go.

What Differences Can We Expect?

Fixed Limit Holdem Tournament Strategygy

There's a lot of potential for discussion between the no limit poker and limit variations, but lets look at some generally accepted views.

Limit games are often described as more mathematical than their NL/PL counterparts. This can probably be argued either way, but it's probably more accurate to say there is a much lesser psychological undertone to limit games. This fact coupled with fixed bet sizes means the game is much more solvable than NL/PL.

On the subject of being solvable, twelve months ago it was reported that a team of scientists from The University of Alberta had weakly solved the game of limit heads up Holdem to the point where it could never be beaten by a human player.

This has both positive and negative implications.

On the up side we should be happy that after almost two decades of online poker, this is the only news we see in the mainstream about poker being solved. Negatively though, if this truly is the case then in the future we are going to face more and more problems with maintaining the integrity of the game due to increasingly sophisticated 'bots'. No matter what scare stories you might read online we are not at the end of the line just yet. The increase in difficulty between solving heads up limit variations and six to nine handed NL games is huge, so let's not panic just yet.

For casual players who haven't yet chosen which game to specialise in yet, limit Holdem is a fine proving ground for getting to grips with the basics of poker. Concepts such as pot odds and value betting can be easily learned without the worry of massive overbet shoves and the like found in NL. If you find the psychological pressure of NL or PLO too much as a beginner, then fixed limit games might be a sensible suggestion until you improve your skill set.

Fixed Limit Holdem Tournament Strategy Payout

These skills are transferable to the big bet games so there shouldn't be any worry about wasting time learning something which will be useless in the future.

There are a few features of the fixed limit scene which many of you will view as less than appealing. If you were to chose a fixed limit path then there is no doubt that as you move up the stakes ladder you will encounter problems with game availability if you are trying to multi table a game other than Holdem. Limit Holdem's popularity is still holding fast, but the other games have dried up somewhat. Action can be found for all the games but the number of tables running is limited. If you are a casual player just looking for fresh excitement though, then there is nothing to worry about. The 8 Game or HORSE tables can solve this problem to some degree, but multi tabling with the possibility of playing eight different games on eight or more different tables, at the same time, sounds like a recipe for disaster to me! These tables do not lend themselves well to the mass grinding mindset.


Fixed limit games might have an uncertain future, but it's not all doom and gloom. There is a lot of fixed limit based material out there, and being as these games haven't undergone the same level of evolution that NL Holdem and PLO has, there is still an enormous amount of scope for getting ahead of the crowd if you are prepared to put the work in.

Another factor which may be important for some players is the variance comparison. NL Holdem is reputed to have less variance than fixed limit, due to the high number of multiway pots which legitimately grow quite large in a limit game. In NL you can expect a lot more heads up pots due to being able to control the size of the pot odds offered to your opponents.

If you're not too keen on Madame Variance and what she gets up to , then I will politely suggest that you don't even open the rule book for PLO!

Maybe you're a player who likes to get on with business and doesn't take too kindly to all the 'Hollywooding' seen in big bet games. Fixed limit is a much faster game with simpler decisions.

Fixed

If you're a US based player then you will have plenty of fixed limit options in the casino live games. Many of the players seen in these games never transferred over to online poker, and have kept the scene ticking over nicely.

The final distinction I want to make is about the tournament scene. Although the annual pilgrimage to Las Vegas every summer will see some fixed limit tournaments, online it is impossible to play a serious amount of volume from limit alone. Again, I am commenting to grinders who want to be more than just casual players. If you have any ambition in poker today, whether it be cash games or tournaments, the ability to play what many consider an insane number of tournaments, is necessary to complete the learning process. Poker is tough, and all but the extremely talented can not avoid the long road towards mastery. You simply must be putting the hours in.

What For the Future?


It's difficult for me not to be biased in any way. No limit poker is firmly keeping its grip as the Cadillac of poker, with PLO in hot pursuit. Everything else is just a poor relation, sadly. Gone are the days of table after table of fixed limit seven card stud. If your goal was to become a Razz pro, then I'm afraid you're going to be disappointed!

Fixed Limit Holdem Tournament Strategy Rules

The only way in the near future that fixed limit games will regain their popularity is if mixed games become the latest craze.

This idea isn't so far fetched as we watch the emerging markets in China and India fill out the poker landscape. If different games become more popular in those regions then the old school may follow suit. We will have to wait and see.

For now the big bet games are here to stay, and I for one am happy about it, even if the tables are getting outrageously tough.

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Fixed Limit Hold'em Strategy

Andrei Joseph

Since stumbling towards retirement nine years ago, Andrei Joseph has played low limit hold 'em in more than 100 poker rooms across 20 states. He would be $37,000 ahead — if there were no rake! Here's the second of two articles from Joseph in which he continues to explore some of the attractions and challenges of what for many poker players is a favorite variant.

* * * * *

Here are some painful lessons from the bottom end of the poker food chain: low stakes, fixed-limit hold'em.

Last time I discussed some of the reasons I enjoy low limit hold'em (i.e, $4/$8 and below). This time, let's talk a little strategy. If you follow the basic advice outlined below, you will distinguish yourself from the majority of your opponents and dramatically increase your chances of success.

First, and most importantly, listen to Archie Bell & the Drells: 'Do the tighten up, come on and tighten up, you can do it now.'

Throw away , throw away , throw away . If you are dealt pocket jacks and there are two raises in front of you, fold. If you hit the low end of the flop and there is action, get out.

This advice is tough to follow. You want to play. I want to play. I want the action. You may have driven hours to get to the darn casino. Play! Play! The bozo across the table just won playing . It is my turn for a big blind special.

No! It is your turn to fold and be patient.

Learn to distinguish between bad play and bad luck. This requires both some knowledge of poker and sober self-assessment. Learn some odds — it will contribute to a positive outcome.

I have played enough poker to have been dealt pocket aces many times (220-to-1). Only once have I been dealt pocket aces at the same time as someone else.

Many low limit players will automatically call preflop with any two suited cards. What are your odds of making a flush by the river with that starting hand? The answer is around once every 15 hands. Compare those odds to your preflop call with and a flop containing two more hearts. Now what are your odds to make a flush on the turn or river? The answer is a little more than once every three times.

How much are you required to bet? How much will you win? Do you see why it is called 'competitive algebra'?

Learning to play LHE well also sometimes appears to contain elements of psychotherapy. Look at your behavior, assess it accurately, and change the parts that are hurting you.

The default mechanism that is prevalent among many losing players includes a tendency towards superstition ('oh, seat 8 is hot'), blindness ('he hit runner-runner again' while not recognizing the times that happened in your own favor), and nonsense ('if you hadn't gotten up to go to the bathroom, those would have been my cards') — not science, statistics or rationality.

But you will spurn fake news and instead embrace rationality, empiricism, and a brutally honest assessment of the factors impacting your results.

Learn what the rake is and understand its importance. Few players actually calculate this. Some don't even notice the money going down the rabbit hole. A typical low limit game will deal around 35 hands per hour. If you don't believe this ask the dealers how many hands they get out in a 30-minute shift. Particularly if they keep their own tokes, they are trying to move the game along.

For simplicity's sake, let's assume a rake of up to $5 (and perhaps a dollar more for jackpots and/or promotions). Not every pot is raked to the maximum, but even if the average is a total of $4 per hand (for example), that means that $140 is coming off the table every hour. If the table is full with 10 players, then it is costing you at least $14/hour to play.

Add tokes when you win a pot, and you need to win at least $17/hour to break even. Difficult yes, but possible. Especially in Las Vegas late at night with less than sober tourists.

Which brings us to table selection. Some broad generalizations include that tight retirees dominate daytime versions of low limit. As evening approaches more liquor and younger players appear. If you are playing at a vacation destination, the play will be looser. Your opponents will include those who have already decided to lose hundreds of dollars as 'the price of entertainment.' Fine by me!

That's when you will see and hear the most amazing stuff at the table. Someone calling your preflop raise with will crack your pocket aces. Resist the impulse to berate your opponent. Quietly tell yourself that you want players like this at the table. That money is coming back. You just hope it comes back to you!

If you are running bad, don't imitate your opponents' poor play. Patience. More patience. If you are playing blackjack, you must play the cards you are dealt. Here, unless you are in a blind, you can toss away poor cards — and at no cost. Take advantage of this. Patience.

Read a book. Almost no one else has. I recommend Winning Low Limit Hold'em by Lee Jones or Small Stakes Hold'em by Ed Miller, David Sklansky, and Mason Malmuth.

Read these and you will gain insight into the value of position and timely aggression. You will learn when to play big pairs and when to play suited connectors. You will learn when to let go of your hand, how to deal with maniacs, and why your opponents really will hit their lucky card on the river more than you will (because by only playing premium hands, you will win more often without having to hit that two-outer). The money invested on these books will be recovered in your next session.

Finally, keep an accurate tally of what has happened. Saying to your pals, 'I win sometimes, I lose sometimes' or 'I had a good session' or 'wow, I really got beat last Friday' can be a thin attempt to delude yourself. Especially given the impact of variance, having accurate, sober statistics over a period of time is the true measure of whether you are making progress.

(Thanks to my pal Ashley for being my mentor and for driving.)

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