Betting Structures
In this article
- Betting Structures
- No-Limit
- Fixed Limit
- Pot Limit
We've defined what games can you play in what formats but there are is one further very important differenence between poker games, and that is the betting structure. The betting structure will have a great influence on your optimal strategy as well, the most common differentiation between what strategy one playes is based on the betting structure. The three most important betting structures that most popular poker games use are No-Limit, Fixed Limit and Pot Limit
No-Limit
In No-Limit, I'm sure this will be a great surprise, there is no limit to the maximum size of bets you can put in, you can risk all your chips in a single hand any time. A minimum bet and raise size is always defined, you always have to match the raise before you (the first „raise” is the Big Blind).
If the blinds are 5/10 and the first player raises to 35, the next one has to make it 60 at least 35 + (35-10). Since you can risk all the money anytime the minimum and the maximum amount you can bring to a table in a cash game is maximized.
Table limits vary, 100BB stacks are considered normal <50BB are „shallow” and >1500BB are „deep”. There are special „CAP” tables, where there's a maximum betting limit after which there's no action allowed.
In a No Limit strategy you have an extra variable you can decide, which is your betsize, and you will always have to capialize on your wins by trying to get all the money in and cut back your losses as early as possible because it can quickly cost you a lot.
Fixed limit
In fixed limit there are two fixed bets, the Small Bet and the Big Bet. The Small Bet equals one Big Blind. In the earlier betting rounds (in Holdem pre-flop and on the flop) the bet allowed is the Small Bet, on the later streets it's the Big Bet.
Small Bet
In fixed limit games, the small bet is the smaller of two bet sizes that is the amount of a bet in the first betting round. Big bets are a larger increment used in later betting rounds.
Big Bet
The big bet is the larger of two bet sizes in a game with a fixed bet size. In a $1/$2 Hold'em game, the big bet size is two dollars. The big bet is used in the later betting rounds. In Hold'em, for instance, players make small bets in the first two rounds and big bets thereafter.
Betting action is commonly maximized at 4x bets put in by each player per round therefore the maximum size of each pot is limitied by the rules thus there is usually no maximum amount of money you can bring to a cashgame table. A minimum is always set to ensure gameflow.
In terms of strategy fixed limit is a very mathemathical game, because the pots are usually big and the bets you have to put in are small compared to it you often get good value for your money and therefore you have to stick in the pot. But we're getting too far ahead here...
Pot Limit
While Holdem is also played in a Pot Limit format, this betting structure is almost exclusively reserved for Omaha. Omaha is mostly refered to as PLO (Pot Limit Omaha). The maximum bet size is calculated from the starting pot size + the previous action in the betting round + a call from the raiser.
The main strategical differences between PLO and Holdem however don't come from the different betting structure but the two extra cards dealt, which is a total game changer.
Again for the full picture there are some additional betting structures, such as flat limit or spread limit but they are not used in any online games, and you'd have to find a very specific home game to play them.
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