Help me explain this to a non-believer

[UATrewqaz]

The NL player has the advantage of being able to CONTROL THE POT ODDS.

Simple example.

10/20 limit hold em

In limit you hold top 2 pair with 1 card to come. You put your single opponent on a flush draw. The pot contains $260. You correctly bet $20, the pot now has $280 giving your opponent 14-1 on his call. He has the pot odds to call, so he does.

Your bet was 100% correct (don't want to let him draw for free) and his call was 100% correct.

Ok the game is now say 5/10 NL.

Same setup as before, pot has $260 on the turn and you put your opponent on a flush draw... so you bet the pot.

The pot now contains $520 and your opponent must call $260, this is 2-1. Thus he is NOT getting correct odds to call. His proper play is to fold. Thus you win the pot 100% of the time when your opponent plays this correctly.

However you win even MORE when your oppoent makes a bad call.

That's the key difference

Limit = very difficult, sometimes impossible to control the pot odds
NL = the ability to offer your opponents whatever odds you see fit at any time.