In limit Texas hold’em, every bet counts. Because the amount of the bets is fixed, the pots you win can only be so big. You cannot set up an opponent for a big score, or sneak in with a disguised monster and ambush people for devastating effect as you can in no limit Texas hold’em. In limit, it’s all about winning a bet here, a bet there.

Limit hold’em is a game of big cards, and most of the time you will be entering a pot with premium hands. However, there is one time when you will often not have a premium hand, and that is when you are in the blinds. Blind play is an important facet of limit Texas holdem poker, and the bets you win or lose from the blinds are just as important as any others. Whenever you are in the small or big blind, you will be faced with a decision to check or raise if there has been no raise, or to fold, call or raise if there has been a raise.

Key Factors to Consider Regarding Calling or Folding in the Blinds in Limit Hold’em

How Many Players Are In The Hand?

The more players that are in the hand, the more you should be willing to play. If you are in the small blind, and the small blind is half the big blind, you are almost always getting correct odds to call. If three players call the big blind, you are being offered the chance to win 4 and a half bets for the price of only half a bet, or 9 to 1. This means your hand would only have to win 10 percent of the time, even if it went straight to a showdown and there was no other betting, for your call to be correct. An important concept in any poker game.

Where is the Raise Coming From?

If everyone folds to the button or the cutoff (the player one from the button), the likelihood is much higher that if one of these players raises, they are trying to steal the blinds. You will have to depend on your read of the opponent to decide how likely they are to have a real hand in late position versus how likely they are to steal. While you shouldn’t call every time, you must show that you are willing to defend your blinds in limit Texas hold’em, or they will be taken away from you frequently, which will prove expensive in the long run.

Key Factors to Consider Regarding Raising From the Blinds in Limit Hold’em

How Many Are You Up Against?

If many players have called the blind and the table is loose, you are often better off checking along than raising. A single raise in low limit hold’em in an already raised pot is unlikely to chase anyone out, and if you have a strong hand, yours is probably the least likely to improve, so raising simply creates more profitable poker odds for opponents trying to catch up to you.

Who Are You Up Against?

If you are being frequently raised in the blinds by a late position player, you may want to start re-raising, and even betting on the flop no matter what comes. If this player is a habitual stealer, it may slow him down, and you may win bets from him even with a marginal hand if he backs down to your show of strength.

Provided by PokerListings.com, bringing you the best poker site reviews !