Debunking the 2 Biggest Myths of Limit Hold’em Poker

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Arved Klöhn Pokerlistings Author
  • Fact Checked by: PokerListings
  • Last updated on: January 8, 2025

Most No-Limit players have a raging hatred of anything Limit. This hatred is typically unfounded, based on half-truths, myths and misconceptions.

The funny part about these haters? Most of them have never actually played limit hold’em online poker. They might have sat for a session or two but they’ve never spent the hours grinding the game, fine-tuning their strategy.

They don’t understand the subtleties and nuances that have made Limit poker the cornerstone of the poker world since its inception. For a quick refresher on the Rules of Limit Hold’em, check our page here:

Myth #1: Aces Always Lose in Limit Poker

This is the No. 1 complaint from most haters making it the No. 1 Limit Hold’em poker myth.

It’s honestly tiring to hear players say “You can’t protect your hand,” “Aces are no good, you might as well just muck them,” or “Aces are only good heads-up.”

The first issue to address is the misconception that aces are only good if heads-up. Take a look at this chart:

HandHand %
A A 28.4
A K 9.6
K K 9.2
Q Q 8.5
6 6 8
A Q 10.7
7 8 15.5
Q 4 10

***

A A 28.4

***

This is with eight players in the pot holding better-than-random hands – in fact this selection has your opponents holding what is possibly the worst combination of hands for you to see.

You have no redraw if someone flops a set (and you have to dodge eight cards for that); you’re up against two suited hands and cards with straight potential.

If you put A A  up against nine random hands (all players going to the river no matter what), A A  will win around 31% of the time (this number is calculated by PokerStove with a sample of over 1 million hands run).

You’re getting 8-1 on your money while winning one out of three pots.

In other words: You play this hand three times, each time all hands going to the river, all putting in equal money. Each hand costs every player $100 from deal to showdown.

  • You play three times ($100 X 3) you’ve invested a total of $300
  • Each of those three times the pot is $1,000 ($100 x 10 players)
  • You lose twice (Gross $0), and win once (Gross $1,000)
  • $1,000 (Gross) – $300 (Investment) = $700 (Net Profit)

This equation was simplified for this example. 31% X 3 = 93%. This doesn’t account for the missing 7%, or any of the hands folding. The example is purely to get across the message of how strong aces actually are in a multiway pot.

As the example suggests, aces may very well lose more frequently than they win in a Limit game. The more players in the pot, the less likely the aces are to hold up (for example, if you have A A  against only three random hands, the chances of aces will be close to 64%).

How to Calculate Odds in Limit Hold’em

What all the haters need to appreciate is the excessive odds you will be offered in a Limit game. You will lose more frequently, but you will make a lot of money in the process.

In No-Limit you can protect your A A  to give it a much higher win/loss ratio, but the actual monetary value of the hand can go down. By protecting your A A  in No-Limit, you’re lowering the total pot odds, by removing almost exclusively the hands with the least chance of beating you.

Not only that, but when a player with a random hand beats your A A  in No-Limit, they have the ability to take your whole stack. In Limit, the random hand you’re losing to is unable to skew the odds enough to lower the value of pocket aces.

Because No-Limit is such a situation-specific game, there is no way to say that A A  is more or less profitable than in a Limit game, but that’s not the argument here.

Pocket Aces Make Money in Limit Hold’em

To sum it up, and bust the myth wide open, pocket aces can and will make you good money in Limit poker, regardless of the number of opponents in the hand.

In part two we’ll look at why it is actually possible to bluff in Limit, debunking once and for all the myth that “bluffing is impossible in Limit Hold’em.”

Limit Myth #2:You Can’t Bluff in Limit Hold’em

I’m not sure how this myth is still so widely believed. Poker began as Limit and bluffing has been part of poker since its inception.

No matter what betting format you’re playing, whether it be Limit, Pot-Limit or No-Limit, bluffing always has been, and always will be, an integral part of the game.

Believe it or not, the myth that Limit isn’t conducive to betting came to be mostly thanks to Chris Moneymaker. The Moneymaker-driven poker boom brought thousands of new players into the game, the vast majority of those stepping directly into the No-Limit forum.

Until very recently in the history of poker No-Limit Hold’em was a very rarely played game.

One of the traits of No-Limit is that it provides opportunities for an amateur to make “dark tunnel” or “donk” bluffs. At any time, an amateur can drop all their chips across the line in a bluff for the pot.

This is called a donk bluff because only donkeys make it. They have no feel for the texture of the board, no reads on their opponents, no idea of their opponents reads’ on them and no inkling of what their table image truly is.

These bluffs are often successful, simply because of the lack of attractive odds. Even if a pro feels that the amateur is bluffing, calling a $500 bet into a $35 pot just seems like a poor idea. The pro has no problem cutting their small losses and waiting for a better spot to get the money in.

In Limit, the donk bluff will almost never work. With the bluff being $10 into a $35 pot, the pro can easily call on a read that the amateur is running a bluff. The risk versus reward equation of it being a profitable call is favorable.

So the idea that you can’t bluff in Limit isn’t exactly false, but it only scratches the surface of the truth.

Bluffing at Limit requires lining up all of the elements in the poker bluff equation flawlessly. You must align the texture of the board, your image, the perception of your hand and the perception of your read on your opponents’ hand perfectly.

If any one of these elements is askew, there will be enough reasonable doubt for the player to call.

Here’s an example:

The board: 2 4 6 5

Opponent’s hand: A 6

Your hand: A K

Situation: Your opponent raised pre-flop; you called on the button going to the flop heads-up. On the flop he bet and you called. On the turn he bet again and you raised him. Action is on him.

Opponent’s thought process: The texture of the board is horrible for his hand. Anyone holding a three or any pocket pair has him beat. He can’t beat anything but a bluff in this hand.

He has been playing with you for five hours and has a very good idea of how you play. He knows you’re a solid player who plays solid hands, and that you’re very tight and unlikely to be caught playing with weak holdings.

So far all the elements are lining up but there are still a couple of things that just don’t make sense.

First of all, you called a raise pre-flop – there’s no way he can put you on any hand with a three in it. Even with ace-three chances are you fold on the flop, being as tight as you are.

This means he only loses if you have a pocket pair. Since you didn’t three-bet pre-flop he doesn’t believe you have AA, KK, QQ or JJ. So the only hands he can put you on that he loses to are 77-88-99-TT or a set.

There’s a good chance you’ll raise any of those on the flop. Although he can’t be sure that he’s ahead he’s getting 6-1 on his money to make this call.

You only have to be bluffing here once out of every six times for this call to be profitable. Given his doubt, even though it’s scant, the doubt plus the odds makes calling here an easy decision for him.

If, on the other hand, you had the table image of a player playing any two cards, your opponent now has to add all two pairs and straights into your range.

Bluffing Still Big Part of Limit Hold’em

Bluffing in Limit is a huge part of the game. It’s just a very advanced part of the game that requires a large amount of experience and skill to understand, evaluate and manipulate the elements and your opponents’ reads of them.

As a hater, the next time you’re about to say how much you hate Limit, or how Limit is just a big game of bingo, think about this and save yourself from looking like a fool.

Just say that Limit is probably not the best poker game for you. There’s nothing wrong with only wanting to play No-Limit; just make sure you’ve made that choice for valid reasons.

Example #1:

Imagine you hold A A at a $10/$20 Limit table, and three players limp in before you on the cutoff. You raise, both blinds call, and the limpers call, creating a sizable pot. The flop comes K 8 2 . Action checks to you, you bet, and only two players call. By the turn, which is 9 , a third club appears, and you notice your remaining opponents play straightforwardly. You continue betting for value, aware that in Limit your pot odds often justify continued aggression. Even if you lose to a flush occasionally, the times you pick up a large multiway pot more than compensate, illustrating why pocket aces remain profitable in Limit play.

Example #2:

Consider a more speculative bluff spot. You are on the button in a $5/$10 Limit game with J 9 . Two early-position players limp, you raise, and both limpers call. The flop is A 10 3 . Both opponents check, you fire a continuation bet, and one player calls. The turn is Q . Your draw strengthens since any king makes you a straight. You bet again, representing a strong hand range that includes [Ak], [Aq], or even K J if you had a flush draw. The extra pot odds in Limit let you make this semibluff repeatedly. Even though you cannot size your bet as large as in No-Limit, combining positional advantage with the right board texture can pressure your opponent into folding.

Advanced Perspectives on Limit Hold’em

Limit Hold’em has far more depth than many players realize. Beyond the foundational strategies of betting for value and protecting your hand, there are newer theoretical advances that experienced players can apply to refine their game. While detailed solvers for Limit are less widespread than for No-Limit, advanced modeling has begun to take hold, lending fresh insights into multiway pots and bluffing frequencies.

Leveraging Multi-Street Calculations

Players often overlook the importance of planning multiple streets in Limit Hold’em. The restricted bet sizes make it tempting to play a street-by-street guessing game, but top pros understand that each decision has a ripple effect on future streets. By carefully analyzing pot odds and your opponent’s range from the flop onward, you can plan ahead for turn and river bets. This method entails assigning probabilities not just to immediate outcomes but to subsequent actions. If you anticipate calling one or two more bets, factoring that future cost into your decisions will strengthen your strategic approach.

In practical terms, this forward-thinking mindset is essential when you suspect an opponent of holding an intermediate strength hand. In some situations, your best move is to raise on the turn with the intention of checking down the river if you don’t improve. This approach can either force a fold from marginal hands or encourage the opponent to check-call, letting you control the final betting round. By running multiple simulations and range analyses, you adapt your lines according to your opponent’s style and the changing board.

Balancing Exploitation with GTO Concepts

Game Theory Optimal (GTO) principles can be applied in Limit Hold’em, though the smaller bet structure and capped betting streets make pure solver-based play less decisive than in No-Limit. Even so, balancing your ranges to avoid becoming exploitable remains critical. If you consistently fold to check-raises on the turn, sharp opponents will notice and increase their bluff frequency in those spots.

Conversely, if you over-defend on certain board textures, you risk bleeding chips over the long haul. Aim to keep your calling, raising, and folding decisions in proportion to the pot odds and the range of hands you represent. Experienced players often mix up their lines by calling down marginal holdings in one scenario and making an aggressive raise in another, maintaining an unpredictably balanced style over time.

FAQ

Can pocket aces really be profitable in multiway pots?

Yes, pocket aces remain strong even in multiway pots because of the pot odds you receive each time you enter the hand. Although they may lose more often with more players involved, you win enough sizable pots to maintain a solid profit over the long run.

How does bluffing differ between Limit and No-Limit Hold’em?

In No-Limit, you can bet any amount, so a large all-in bluff can force folds from opponents who don’t want to risk their stacks. In Limit, the capped bet sizes demand better timing and board-reading skills. You must align all bluff elements correctly, because opponents get good pot odds to call.

Is it possible to protect your strong hands in Limit?

While you can’t shove opponents out of the pot with huge bets, you protect strong hands by betting and raising in ways that force incorrect calls from weaker holdings. The structure of Limit keeps more players in the hand, but it also ensures you gain enough pot equity in the long run.

How important is table image when bluffing in Limit games?

Table image is vital in Limit bluffing. Because each bet is limited, players often base decisions on any clues about your range and style. If you’ve been tight and consistent, your bluffs get more credit. If you play loose or aggressively, opponents will be less inclined to fold when you bet.

Should new players focus on Limit or No-Limit Hold’em first?

It depends on individual preference. Limit can be more math-centric, emphasizing pot odds and discipline in calling or folding. No-Limit often relies on stack dynamics and large bet sizes. Many pros recommend that beginners get comfortable with foundational concepts in Limit before exploring No-Limit strategies.

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