♠ No-limit Texas Hold’em is the form of poker which is very popular all over the world. No-limit allows the player to play with big stacks and bet any amount of chips at any time. But there are two other forms of betting structure available which may sound different but are equally convenient to play for those who are well-versed with no-limit. There is fixed limit Hold’em where betting amount is predefined and limited. You cannot decided on your own the amount you want to bet. The other betting variation which come in between no limit and fixed limit Hold’em is Pot limit . To the poker players who are looking for limited bets along with some subtle game play, pot-limit is really a great way to earn good money.

♠ Pot limit can be defined as a betting format where players cannot raise more than the total pot size. Pot cannot be increased more than the current size of pot by raise or re-raise. In offline play, dealer’s role is much important here as he informs the players about the total pot size and the maximum pot raise that can be made. He keeps tracks of pot limit and checks for any offends made by any player i.e. raising more amount than the maximum limit. Any player can raise the pot on his turn by declaring “raise pot”. When you raise, the pot is calculated by considering you already called.
It is important to have knowledge of some mathematical concepts to play pot limit. As pot needs to be limited, you must learn to calculate odds to ensure maximum profits. Poker players usually make mistake of not putting attention on the pot odds, but in reality the odds determines the probability of winning the pot.

♠ Size of pot-The amount to raise or re-raise the pot depends on the maximum bet you can make. If you have a strong hand, your goal should be to maximize the pot by making small bets. Let your opponent be the one to raise the pot by making big bets. The size of bet will increase with the size of pot.

♠ How to play-The rules to play Texas Hold’em is similar in all formats. Players will be dealt with 2 hole cards and they need to form best 5 cards with the use of community cards on the table. They can check, raise, or fold on their turn of betting. In pot limit Texas Hold’em, betting amount completely depends on the size of the pot. i.e. on a table of 5/10, if after flop round the pot is of 15 and you are the first to act, you can bet either the minimum (big blind amount) or maximum up to the pot limit (15). If you are the second one to act and the player before you bets 10, you can call 10 (the amount of the last bet), fold, or raise. If you want to raise, your minimum raise would be 10 (previous bet). For maximum raise, you need to calculate the size of pot = starting pot + previous bet + your call (15+ 10+10 = 35). In addition to that, I call 10 so the bet would be 45.

♠ Pot odds play a major role in No-limit Texas Hold’em so the beginners should learn about the calculation methods and determine their move accordingly to win and make maximum profits.