Is NL more addictive than limit?

[steamboatin]

I played NL cash game live for the first time this weekend and man, was it fun. Betting, bluffing, dragging in those pots and never being completely sure if you are ahead or behind.

Seems to me the adrenaline rush is much larger playing NL.

I had only played NL in low buyin tourneys so I didn't know what to expect. I was at a must move table, so I am sure it was softer than the main game but it was a good time.

[Ghazban]

Its a personality thing. I'd rather play no-limit than limit if only because every decision you make could be the difference between doubling through or losing your entire stack (as opposed to a few BB one way or the other). That difference alone is enough to keep me involved even when I'm not in the hand because the information I gain about my opponents will be useful later. In limit, I rarely am able to keep my concentration level that high.

[lehighguy]

In limit you have a hard time determining if you are ahead or behind and how to bet/raise/call/fold. It is more intellectually stimulating. If someone bets in limit they might have a pair or a boat, its impossible to know.

[Ghazban]

This is also true in no-limit; it just costs you a lot more to find out. At low limits, you can just push in as a favorite and get called by garbage but, in tougher games, this is no longer a profitable strategy.

[canis582]

I noticed that my hands would visibly shake when I was involved in a raised pot at the 2/5 level. Is that a tell? Does it say I have good cards?

[NiceCatch]

Mike Caro, who wrote the well known book about poker tells, says that a player's hands may shake when they hit a monster hand. This obviously varies from player to player.

I find my biggest "symptom" in NL is an elevated heart-rate in a big hand. I think this is much more common for me in a game where my bankroll really isn't big enough for me to be playing those stakes (probably for obvious reasons).

I've rarely had any of those symptoms in a limit game.

[NPoling]

I'd say no-limit can definitely be more addictive. Its much more of a gambling game than limit, as you're oftentimes put to some very tough decisions, and the higher risk and the bigger pots can definitely make it a more exciting game to play.

[fimbulwinter]

i know the mental high i get from live (and only live) NL is something addicitive for sure. the reason i've become such a live big bet guy is that you are constantly constructing a story for each player around which to base your decisions. This story is completely vital to win big. It starts from the moment the guy stits down and culminates whn he puts in a big raise against your TPTK on a twoflush board. At that point you have to know if he's capable mentally, financially and heart-wise to get mean against a strong hand with something that doesn't beat it. in limit the answer requires none of the above. if you have a pension for meticule and intricate analysis, it is a much better game for you, but the fact that my analysis of other human beings often means more to my chipstack than the mechanics of my play makes NL by far my favorite game live.

fim