Tilt
03-24-2005, 11:30 AM
I have been playing a lot of pot limit lately. Its a good early evening game cause the tables are filled with Europeans playing past their bedtimes.
The more I play it, the more I notice the subtle changes in strategy that are required to win at it. Some observations:
Generally, the pot is almost never won preflop, because the raises are so limited, especially in EP. Its hard to take a pot without a flop, unless you are in LP at a loose table its virtually impossible. Yet raising is crucial if you intend to take the pot on the flop, because unless you build the pot early it will be difficult to make a raise that could compel others to fold.
The power of the button is so much greater in pot-limit. In NL, the buttons power comes from the ability to act last. In PL, you add the fact that the button gets to make the largest raise. Because of this, you can do very well in PL just by playing super-tight in EP and playing like a maniac on the button.
From EP, check/raising your big hands is critical, because you otherwise cannot build the pot. For the same reason, limp/reraising preflop becomes more important, especially with hands like AA/KK.
And generally, drawing hands become more valuable, because its harder to force someone off them. And because the bets are really only ever very large in the last two rounds, you can get paid well for them more easily than if you flop TPTK.
Any other regular PL players willing to comment or add to these?
The more I play it, the more I notice the subtle changes in strategy that are required to win at it. Some observations:
Generally, the pot is almost never won preflop, because the raises are so limited, especially in EP. Its hard to take a pot without a flop, unless you are in LP at a loose table its virtually impossible. Yet raising is crucial if you intend to take the pot on the flop, because unless you build the pot early it will be difficult to make a raise that could compel others to fold.
The power of the button is so much greater in pot-limit. In NL, the buttons power comes from the ability to act last. In PL, you add the fact that the button gets to make the largest raise. Because of this, you can do very well in PL just by playing super-tight in EP and playing like a maniac on the button.
From EP, check/raising your big hands is critical, because you otherwise cannot build the pot. For the same reason, limp/reraising preflop becomes more important, especially with hands like AA/KK.
And generally, drawing hands become more valuable, because its harder to force someone off them. And because the bets are really only ever very large in the last two rounds, you can get paid well for them more easily than if you flop TPTK.
Any other regular PL players willing to comment or add to these?