Most professional poker players will tell you that the game is not about luck but skill, strategy and structure. Want to be a big winner, impress your friends and further your online poker knowledge? Pick up some basic strategies for fixed-limit Texas hold'em poker online, and learn how to get good at this style of play. In hold'em, the limit changes everything about the game. Understanding how to focus your approach to this card game is critical. By taking the time and learning some strategies, you'll be in a better position to start making some serious money.
About Fixed Limit Texas Hold'em
It's safe to say that online Texas hold'em is one of the world's most popular poker games. Played at the World Series of Poker, hold'em is very much a combination of playing skill and betting guts. With the right strategy, anyone can be a big winner. No-limit Hold'em may be the game of choice at the World Series of Poker, but fixed limit is a whole different breed of poker games on line.
In fixed limit, the betting limits are always set at two amounts, for example, $5/$10. These numbers do not represent the blinds as in no limit, but rather the fixed betting amounts. In this case, you can bet or raise $5 pre-flop and on the flop, and bet or raise $10 on the turn and river. In most fixed limit hold'em games, there is a "cap," of three raises, meaning only four total bets can be put in by each player per betting round.
The betting structure in no limit poker allows participants to go all-in and bet as much as they have in front of them at any time. This is not the case with this card game.
Here, you can only bet or raise a specific amount on each street. This completely eliminates big bluffs, big all-ins and over-the-top bets. Fixed limit is much more structured, and it takes a whole different set of strategies to win. This style of play will help you learn how to establish a betting pace and practice betting strategies, without allowing you to rely upon big bluff bets. It's a different way to hone your skills, and it's something every poker player should find out more about. Compared to other poker games on line, you could say that it's a more laid-back game, but you'll still be playing poker, and big sums can still be won and lost.
Betting Strategies
There are lots of different strategies in poker, whether you're playing Texas hold'em or some other version of the game. Even in fixed limit games, you'll want to maintain a "poker face." This simply means maintaining a blank expression and working hard not to give anything away about your hand, and it's the first basic poker trick you'll want to master. When you're playing fixed limit Texas hold'em, however, you'll want to move quickly on to learning a few betting strategies to help you around the table.
It's always a good idea to bet consistently in both no limit and fixed limit versions. In no limit hold'em, you need to make sure your bet sizing doesn't give anything away. In fixed limit, there is no bet sizing, but you should be aware of the way you throw chips into the pot or how long you take to call or raise. Try to do it the same way whether you have a weak hand, a draw or a monster.
If you throw your chips into the pot when you are weak, do the same when you are strong. Don't slide them in when you have a monster and toss them when you're ready to fold. This helps you avoid being read by other players at the table, and in fixed limit Texas hold'em, it's absolutely crucial. If you're betting the same way all the time, it's going to be extremely hard for others to put you on a hand (to guess what you're working with, card-wise).
Don't Play Everything
It's great to see the flop yes, but it's not so great to lose all your money and leave a table. There's no need to play every single hand you've got. It's a much better strategy to play only promising and premium hands, thereby increasing your chances to win. Remember to play mainly good cards (that usually means high cards and pairs). No need to see every flop. If you don't have great cards or feel certain that the hand is unlikely to be profitable, wait for the next deal
