The most popular form of Texas Hold’em is No Limit Texas Hold’em. It is a prestigious game and the one most often played on televised poker games and tournaments.

While No Limit Texas Hold’em is often called the “Cadillac of poker” because of its elite status in the tournament world, there are other versions of the game that allow for betting limits. They remove the all-in factor that keeps some risk-averse players from competing. The all-in aspect of Hold’em requires a fair amount of risk and adventure – for players to be willing to put all of their chips at risk on any given hand. 

However, the Texas poker players who developed Texas Hold’em introduced alternate versions of the game, ones that don’t require all-in betting. Limit Texas Hold’em is one of those games that offers lower stakes and betting caps, and Pot Limit Texas Hold’em is the middle ground between Limit and No Limit Texas Hold’em. It offers some capped betting but also inspires action and the creation of sizable pots.

It is important to learn how to play every form of Texas Hold’em, as the positions, rotation, and card distribution remain the same across the board. But different Texas Hold’em variations require unique strategies and create more opportunities for different styles of play.

What Is Pot Limit Texas Hold’em?

The Hold’em part of Pot Limit Hold’em plays out as does every other variation, with blinds and a dealer button rotating clockwise with each hand. Each player receives two hole cards face down before the first round of betting. The dealer then displays three community cards, which is the flop, before another round of betting. The fourth community card, or the turn, prompts another betting round, as does the fifth and final community card, which is the river. 

The pot limit variation of the game means that the maximum bet can only be as much as the amount currently in the pot. That may be an all-in bet, but the cap is the amount of the pot. 

Pot Limit Texas Hold’em Rules

The rules for Pot Limit Texas Hold’em mimic the rules of No Limit Texas Hold’em and Limit Hold’em, with the sole exception of the capped betting amount.

The action and the rotating dealer button and blinds all move in a clockwise manner around the table. The small blind and big blind are dictated by the stakes in cash games and the structure in tournaments. 

• The dealer gives each player two hole cards, face-down, starting with the player to the left of the button. 
• A round of betting begins. Since the blinds are already ensuring that betting occurs, poker players can limp (call the big blind), raise by betting at least twice the big blind, or fold. The big blind can check if no one raised, call or fold to any raise, or reraise.
• The dealer puts three face-up cards on the board as the flop. Any player can use those community cards in combination with their hole cards to create a five-card hand.
• Betting begins with the player in the small blind, who can check or bet. Players to follow can check, call, raise, or fold.
• The dealer adds the face-up turn card to the board, inspiring another round of betting.
• The dealer displays the river card, the fifth of the five community cards, and one last round of betting occurs.

The player with the best five-card hand wins all of the chips in the pot. That completes the hand.

Pot Limit Texas Hold’em Strategies

Similar to other forms of Hold’em, there are a variety of strategies that players can apply in order to increase their chances of winning Pot Limit Hold’em poker. The two most popular strategies involve using position and bet sizing to gain advantages in hands.

Your position at the poker table is your spot as it relates to the button and blinds. For example, playing the button requires a unique strategy as it has an advantage over the blinds in preflop betting and is the last to act in the subsequent betting rounds. This allows you to make more educated decisions after seeing the actions of others. Each position at the table, which rotates with each hand, presents opportunities for specific strategies.

Bet sizing is a key strategy to use in Hold’em, especially with pot-limit caps on that betting. Players can bet small to induce other players to stay in a pot and grow it, or players can bet big with marginal hands to try to isolate and take the pot uncontested. There are many different strategies to employ with regard to pot-limit bet sizing.

Other important strategies in Pot Limit Texas Hold’em include using tells on other players, bluffing at opportune times, and adopting a particular style – loose, aggressive, tight, etc. – to combat opponents’ styles of play.

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