which one has higher variance, limit or no limit tournament?

[maplepig]

I always thought that NL has lower variance, but after playing for a while, it seems that NL tournament has much greater variance than limit. In limit, I rarely lose five times in a row(single table), but in NL it's quite easy to have a losing streak like that, if you are very unlucky every time you go all-in. In limit it's much harder for an idiot to bust you, but in NL it takes only one hand. Sounds logical?

[Greg (FossilMan)]

IME, limit has more variance. At least in the sense that the weaker players seem to have a higher chance of winning. Everytime I look at the WSOP results, I always see more names I recognize at the final table of the NL events as compared to the limit HE events.

However, there is a LOT of variance in both games.

Later, Greg Raymer (FossilMan)

[maplepig]

Could it be that multi table is different from single table?
In single table tournament like paradise and party, it usually only take one hand to get busted, if you are unlucky for one hand, you are out.