Pot-Limit Hold'em

The same game, a different cap

The cards, the blinds and the order of play are exactly those of No-Limit Hold'em. Only the size of a bet changes: the most you can bet or raise is the size of the pot.

That makes the game slower to build and harder to bully. A big stack can't shove everyone out before the flop, so more players see more cards, and the betting over the turn and river decides more pots.

Working out a pot-sized raise

When you raise, the pot counts your call first. So a pot-sized raise is: call the bet, then raise by the size of the pot as it would be after your call.

You don't need to work it out at the table: the Pot button on Poker Rooms bets the most you're allowed.

Why groups like it

• Nights last longer. Fewer players go broke on one hand, so fewer sit out early.
• It's kinder to new players. A mistake costs less, and there's more time to read a hand as it plays out.
• It's a bridge to Omaha. Pot-limit betting is how Omaha is almost always played.