Limit Poker

Limit games – In Limit games, both the bet and raise amounts for each round are a preset amount, which is listed under the "stakes" column for that table. For example, in a $5/$10 Limit Texas Hold'em game, both the bets and raises for the first two rounds of betting must be $5, no more, no less. The last two rounds have a bet/raise amount of $10.

In Limit games, each round of betting has a maximum number (three) of allowable raises, known as the cap. So, if a bet is made, that bet can only be raised three times, after which all players must call, or fold. However, if only two players remain in the hand the cap is increased, to a maximum of 5 raises. This rule is in effect for all the betting rounds, with the idea being to speed up play.

Fixed Limit games are popular because they're safe. While pots can still climb quickly, on average limit pots stay pretty consistent in size, and stay the smallest for the three game types. In other words, it's a lot harder to lose all your chips right away. This makes a Fixed Limit game more attractive to beginners, who are still learning the game play.

Pot Limit games - Pot Limit games differ from the Limit games by the betting and raising amounts allowed: The minimum raise amount is the previous bet or raise in the same hand. For example, if the first player bet $10, the second player can raise a minimum of $10. The maximum raise amount is the total betting pot + total bets of other players in the betting round + the call amount of the player. For example, if the pot is $50, the first player bets $10 and the second player calls $10, the third player can raise up to $80 ($50 in the main pot + $20 from past bets in the round + $10 of the player's own call).

No Limit games - No Limit games differ from the Limit games in the fact that there is no maximum to each raise (apart from the player's table balance).