How best to switch back and forth between Limit and No Limit?

[ptmusic]

I have played limit hold 'em almost 90% of the time - about two years seriously. For the past 6 months or so, I've been getting into no limit hold 'em.

But I find it very difficult to switch back and forth. I have different strategies, different starting requirements, different hand-reading, etc. They are so similar and yet so different.

I often play sub-par poker for the first 30 minutes or so when I play a hold 'em version that I haven't played in a few days. Nothing disastrous yet, but I know I've made a few mistakes in early session play, which is usually my sharpest time.

Any suggestions? Can anyone relate to this at all?

-ptmusic

Any suggestions?d

[Mr. Curious]

I think the first question you need to figure out is why you are playing No Limit. That may help you determine how you should go about playing.

[bernie]

I found that if one is having trouble switching back and forth, it's because their game isn't that strong in either form. I had this problem. I decided to learn limit 'til I got it down good enough, then slowly started trying N/L.

b

[ptmusic]

[ QUOTE ]
I found that if one is having trouble switching back and forth, it's because their game isn't that strong in either form. I had this problem. I decided to learn limit 'til I got it down good enough, then slowly started trying N/L.

b

[/ QUOTE ]

I didn't think that was the issue; I also chose not to post my stats and look like an ass. But you may be on to something, so now I'll go ahead and look like an ass:

I've played seriously (almost every day) for over two years now, online and B&M. I'm a winning player at every level I've played in both games (I've worked my bankroll up to 20/40 in limit), although I haven't played enough NL to have any statistical confidence that I am a true winning player there yet.

So there may be something to your theory regarding no limit, but probably not in regards to limit.

Anyway, I'm doing what you did: I am adding in more NL, but I'm really immersing myself in it - reading and playing for a few days in a row. Then when I return to limit, I don't feel quite as sharp as I normally do, particularly early in the first session back in limit.

-ptmusic

[mosquito]

had a similar thing between H/L split and holdem, much
diff' stratagy.

I now go back and forth smoothly, took some practice.

Keep at it, whatever makes you comortable.

[ptmusic]

[ QUOTE ]
had a similar thing between H/L split and holdem, much
diff' stratagy.

I now go back and forth smoothly, took some practice.

Keep at it, whatever makes you comortable.

[/ QUOTE ]

Good to hear.

Did you mentally prep yourself differently than you used to when you just played one game?

Perhaps you played a little tighter in the first hour when you switched games?

Or was it just that you got better at switching the more you did it, and you haven't noticed any changes at all?

-ptmusic

[RiverDood]

I've been in the same bind. The worst situation is an MTT home game that switches from limit to NL two hours in. (Don't ask why they do it -- they just do.)

It's helped me to make a list of transition issues, coming into NL from limit, so I'm extra aware of them. Some of them are obvious, like being much more selective about playing draws if the preflop raiser is yet to act. Others are more nuanced, like having a good feel for when I can steal the blinds. Keeping a mental list doesn't reduce the error rate to zero, but it does cut it down.

Overall, it feels to me like going from city driving to highway driving. It's jarring the first few months after we get a license; eventually it becomes second nature.

[Lawrence Ng]

Practice, practice, practice. That's what I do.

My specialty still is limit hold'em, but I've played lots of NL the last 2 years as well.

For myself, the key is to differentiate a lot of fundamental concepts and strategies that make the two games different. You have to go into each game with a different mindset too. For me, playing limit (mostly loose limit games) is easier as it is almost mechanical. Bet here, check-raise there, re-raise somewhere. And most of the time I'm up against 4-5 players so I don't even bother to think about the suckouts since they happen often enough, but more if I am properly extracting the full EV and value for whatever hand I am playing.

Rather in NL, it's a very different mindset since my goal is ultimately to build a big pot and win it. This takes far greater skill than it sounds as anyone can flop or turn a monster, but to extract the maximum value for it is another story. I also have to contend more often with 3rd level thinking that I do not for the most part in limit.

Like I said, you get use to it after a while playing both and practice makes perfect.

Lawrence

[mosquito]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
had a similar thing between H/L split and holdem, much
diff' stratagy.

I now go back and forth smoothly, took some practice.

Keep at it, whatever makes you comortable.

[/ QUOTE ]

Good to hear.

Did you mentally prep yourself differently than you used to when you just played one game?

Perhaps you played a little tighter in the first hour when you switched games?

Or was it just that you got better at switching the more you did it, and you haven't noticed any changes at all?

-ptmusic

[/ QUOTE ]

It was primarily recognizing the game that I was playing,
focus if you will. If you had been playing both limit and
NL for many years, you would have no problem I am sure.

At the present I can now play 7 stud/8, O/8, and NLHE at
the same time on Absolute (sometimes the game selection requires this) without confusion. It's automatic.

But getting there is an individual thing. Mentally prepping
yourself by reviewing strategy, etc is probably a useful
thing.

GL, you will get there. I suspect it may be like becoming
multi-lingual with each new 'language' becoming easier
to learn.

[Alex/Mugaaz]

I think most of my edge in NL comes from small to medium sized pots, and mostly from river value bets. The truly big pots usually are a result of tough breaks between 2 hands, or the other person being a complete idiot.