The explosion of poker has been much greater in no-limit Hold 'em than in any other game. It is easy to say this is due primarily to television exposure. But what keeps new players continuing to play no-limit is that luck is a bigger factor than it is in fixed-limit hold 'em, and that's compounded by the fact that new players are too loose.
Let us take a look at low limit HORSE. The game consists of playing one round (eight hands) of limit 'h'old 'em, followed by 'O'maha/8 or better, then a round of 'R'azz (seven stud-low only), then a round of 'S'evenstud high only, and finally a round of seven-stud -'E'ight or better. The rotation continues.
Let's look at on-line cash games. Make sure you know which game is being dealt. I often see players miss the switch from razz to stud and from 7-card stud to 7-stud/8. Sound unbelievably stupid? It is, but play enough and it will happen to someone in your game and on occasion, it may even happen to you.
Playing solid starting cards is critical in each of the five games. However, your up cards are the most important in razz.
The betting structure varies from site to site and should influence your play. Some games have an ante of one unit, a bring-in of two units, and a raise to five units. Other games have an ante of one unit, a bring-in of three units, and a first raise to 8-10 units. The first structure allows for looser play.
Once you call the first bet, you should automatically call a raise if a re-raise looks unlikely. With the second structure, you should be folding more on the first card raise.
In limit, straight forward aggressive play is usually best. Save your tricky plays for no-limit. If uncertain about whether to call a bet or fold, it's best to fold marginal hands in early betting rounds, although pot odds often dictate a call on the river.
If you think you are ahead, push the betting hard.
In Omaha, remember 32 of 52 cards are dealt. If you do not have the nuts, some other player probably does. Do not go broke trying to make second nuts.
In high-low split games, you usually want to have some chance of winning both ways, or a high percentage chance of winning one way.
In Omaha/8, a starting hand with A-2 in it is significantly stronger with one or more additional low cards. The flop may otherwise counterfeit your hand by flopping an ace or a deuce.
We have just scratched the surface. We will look at more tips in the future.
Central City and Blackhawk Raise Limits on Bets:
January 20, 2009, was not only inauguration day for our new President, but also the day a final vote was taken in Central City and Blackhawk, Co. that allows maximum bets to be raised from $5 to $100. Craps, roulette, and 24/7 gambling will begin July 1, 2009.
Bad-Beat Jackpots Revisited:
None of my articles has caused more responses than my Volume 12, No. 14 article on bad-beat jackpots. More than 70 percent of responses were very negative. Steve from Illinois summed up many players' thoughts, when he wrote, "Do away with the ridiculous bad-beat jackpots and lower the 'tax' on skilled players..
Mike Eikenberry got his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Virginia, where he played varsity tennis and basketball. Founder of one of the leading national tennis camps, Mike is an avid amateur who has played both tournaments and live games for over 25 years. He can be reached at theeiks@comcast.net
