Ready to tackle No Limit Holdem? Careful there Cowboy, this game isn’t for the faint of heart. There’s no quicker way to lose your baby bankroll before it gets a chance to grow up and achieve True Grinder status. So let’s make sure that your baby bankroll has the chance to crawl before you begin to walk by reviewing this simple checklist (you must be able to answer yes to all of these questions before diving into No Limit anything!):
Can You Answer Yes To These 3 Questions?
1. I've played Limit Holdem and have a win rate of at least 1.5 BB's per hour.
2. My bankroll is small but I have a minimum of 25 buy ins at my preferred stakes.
3. I've read the other True Grinder articles and I'm ready to take the next step to achieving True Grinder (TG) status.
So the moral of the story with this no limit poker strategy is that you're not a pro, this isn't ESPN, and we're talking about cash games at the moment, not a tournament. Toss the television mentality into the trash and prepare to play “real life” poker.
As you begin to immerse yourself in No Limit play at sites such as Bovada, remember that the fast pace can take a toll on your bankroll. The best bet (no pun intended) is to take it slow and pick your spots. Patience is your friend here and there's nothing wrong with folding what you may think is the best hand (trust me, it will happen). With that in mind, here's a few areas where you must be adept at to survive playing No Limit poker.
Adeptation In No Limit Poker
1. Forget reads, play ABC poker.
2. Don't play mad, this is a bankroll killer so avoid tilting at all costs.
3. Stick to single table poker for now, you can always multi table later when you have a solid grasp on the game.
In regards to point number one, don't try to be a hero and “show someone what's up”. Bluffing and making the hero call is not what you're trying to do at this juncture. It's tough to get good reads on players as you're learning a game. Pay more attention to the game flow and betting patterns, then you can make the killer reads and bluffs later on in your TG career.
As to point number two, don't let tilting kill your bankroll. If a guy makes a bad move and you get sucked out on and lose a hand, move on. Take a break if you have to and walk away from the table to get a smoke or a snack. Coming back and trying to take down one player does two things, it takes your focus away from the other players and opens the door to being taken advantage of by another player.
While playing three or four tables at once is the new “in thing” on the Internet , stay away from this multi tabling poker concept until you have the game on lock down. We've got a great article on playing more than one table at a time so make sure you read it and put this into your tool box at the appropriate time. Get it? Good.
Summary
Making sure that your mental game is in tip top shape is paramount at this point. Don't let mood swings and the like get you off kilter. Take the time to read our other TG articles on strategy and bankroll management and the baby steps you take now will set you up to grow some sprinters legs later. Once you win the marathon, you'll be a genuine True Grinder.
