In Poker, some games offer more potential for profit than others. Limit Hold’em was once the most popular online game. There remain many low to medium limit games, and also those with limits as high as $100/$200 per game. Because one can always find a hold’em game whether online or at a casino, it undoubtedly offers the most profit potential of any of the games. There are many not-so-hot players out there that do not rise to the level of the $20/$40 limit.
Being as popular as it is, it is everyone’s choice and so maintains its profitability and will be the go-to game for a long time.
There are tons of books written for the sole education of the limit hold’em player of any level. It is one of the most read about and studied forms of the game and if the student is diligent, he can learn a lot just by reading. With all this literature available, it is not difficult to learn how to make the right decisions in many situations.
The abovementioned advantages of the game lead directly to the increase of well read, agile players. Which brings us back to the fact that despite the accessibility and apparent profitability of Limit Holdem, it will not necessarily make you a millionaire. If you become no more than an average player, your overall profits are likely to amount to nothing more than near zero.
Poker is played by so many because it is a game of chance, skill, creative thinking and resourceful actions. It demands one not be risk-averse or lacking in self control. You need to figure out exactly how prone you are to take risks and how well you can control yourself in risky situations. Are you impulsive and spontaneous when faced with risk or are you the cool and calculating type who can handle the risk in order to win? Is risk a thrill to you or does it produce nausea?
Once you have decided your risk level and there are special tests to determine this, you can go for the game that fits your style. If you are the one who acts solely on impulse, the slot machines are where you should invest your time and money. If you want to avoid risk altogether, you should be at a limit table with betting levels proportionate to your comfort zone with regard to risk.
If you are an individual who must have everything under your control as often as possible, decide whether you are a human calculator who remembers every card played and every combination of cards in a three or four hour long marathon games, or the psychologist who made your best moves by reading your opponents’ body language and facial expressions. The latter player should be in a no-limit or MTT poker game, not limit hold’em.
Interestingly, it is also the latter type of player who has the best shot at developing as a player. High-limit games are rare. High risks are also not likely to lead very far. No-limit and tournaments offer both accessible and complex poker challenges, providing the best environment for aspiring beginners.
The author is a successful limit cash game player. He plays poker online and receives Rakeback at Absolute Poker and Rakeback at Full Tilt Poker.