Extracting More Money from No Limit Pots

An error on the part of a lot of new No Limit players is placing too much emphasis on getting the pot. Of course you want to win, but you have to take into account the size of the pot. With the right No Limit tactics you will be able to extract more money and need not settle for a mediocre amount.

This can be easily illustrated with the following example. Suppose you have a 9h and a 5h and the board shows you a Jh, 10c, 2h and the turn reveals an 8h. What usually happens is that players will bet everything, confident that they have the nuts.

That is poor No Limit strategy. Why? Because the moment you go all in the other players on the table will realize that you have a strong hand and will fold. You will win, but the pot size will be small. The end result is that because of poor No Limit strategy, you waste your flush on a mediocre pot.

What you should do is once you get a strong hand, is to try and keep as many players in the game for as long as possible. Instead of going for the big raise, you should just call or check, letting the others do the raising. When the right time comes (i.e., the pot is big) go for the big raise and take them all down.

Of course, this No Limit strategy should only be tried if you are sure that you have the nuts. Certainly if you have a four of a kind or a similar hand, then you can try this out with confidence, knowing how unlikely it is that anyone will be able to beat it.

Another factor that will play into your No Limit strategy is your reputation. If you are well known for being tight with your hands and making only incremental bets, then your opponents will not have a clue as what kind of Texas Holdem hand you have got. That is another reason why you do not want to go all in immediately; your reputation can work against you.

It is also important to consider the other players in the game before committing to this No Limit tactic to get bigger pots. If the one coming up after you is loose, then you can be confident about making a small to medium sized call as they will almost certainly call or raise. If they are very tight, then consider checking instead.

While an aggressive player might be nice to have behind you considering their tendencies, only go for the call or raise if he is the only one left to bet. The reason is that he might raise too big, causing the other players to cop out.

It is important to remember that Texas Holdem is not just about winning, but winning the right amount. If you have a flush or better, do not let it go to waste by settling for a $30 pot. With the right No Limit strategies, you will be able to win a lot more than you usually have.