2nd type of poker

I have been playing hold 'em for about a year. I've studied all the books and played thousands of hands. However, I have never before played a single hand of any other poker variation (seriously, never, not even a 5-card home game). In fact, I have played nothing but NO LIMIT hold 'em. So, yesterday my curiosity finally got the better of me, and I played a stud freeroll. I was completely lost and confused by the betting limits.

So, I'm thinking about picking up a second form of poker. It seems to me that all the limit varieties are strikingly different from NLHE. So, should I start out by learning the subtleties of limit hold 'em? It seems obvious, but the reason I ask is that I am much more interested in 7 card. I just don't understand the point of all those small (limit) bets.

The most lucrative game to learn imo for now/future would be PLO (pot limit omaha)

plo is a pretty awesome game that has similarities to NLH. If you like nlh but want a game that has more gamble... variance in it.. plo is really, really, fun.

Play some .01/.02 plo cash games and see if you agree.

Play some 8 game freerolls; it's what I did and I've got a atleast basic feel and understanging for them all.

If it were me, I would go for limit holdem.

My reasoning is that there is a wealth of information available. Once you have both Limit and NL holdem under your belt, I think you would be in a better position to learn games where there is less information available.

I really like playing hi/lo stud,,, i have a set of guide lines and if i stick to them over all i usually come out winner,,,, wish i could do this with n/l holdem,,but not yet
Take care

5 card triple draw is pretty fun... gives you lots of betting rounds also. Haven't played it much but its an entertaining game and isn't difficult to understand at all.

If you have played only NL Holdem forever, you may find Limit Holdem....kinda boring. Just try out the micro limits on the different games and see what you like the best!

Is the classic, start there. Also try hi lo.

PL Omaha is popular too and becoming more so.

Depends what you want to play for. If you want to pick another game that is exiting and fun, I agree with the others that PLO might be for you. If you're looking for a second game that will make the rest of the games easier to learn later on, I think Stud H/L will be the game for you. PLO is a game where the play is more aggresive, bigger hands will happen, and you will see more variance. Stud H/L has most of the variables of the other games that you will run into, like Stud hi, Razz, etc. 5 card draw is the original old school poker, but I've never been a fan myself, and it does not link very well with the other games.

After nothing but NL, I'm not sure any limit game will be interesting. Have you tried Omaha NL? I've found it more of a challenge than Hold 'em and throwing in the NL factor makes it real interesting!

You know Icid, I love your point on Omaha NL. I actually have some casino games where me and my friends ask for Omaha NL specifically. It's a crazy amazing game, much more fun than PL imho. I wonder why they do not have NLO on any major online site? Sure, it's dangerous, sure the variance is crazy, but seriously, I'm sure people would play it. and I can really see some of the top online players, like durrrr from FTP, would jump on the higher tables.

I too have recently decided to branch out from hold 'em (both NL and Limit). I have taken up triple draw 2-7, which I like quite a bit. I also just read a real quick summary of how to play Badugi this weekend and played a tournament that I cashed in. Those two games are pretty similar.

Still, I think Stud Hi/Lo is one that I really want to get into. I have Super System 2, so there's no reason not to have read up on all of the ones in that book at least. But I will definitely be reading the Stud chapter soon. I wish there were a Razz chapter in that book. I thought there was but when I looked at the ToC - nope. But I did learn triple draw by reading what Negreanu said in there about it.

I think the problem with NLO is that you would end up in far too many coin flips on the flop, since only very rarely are you ever worse than a 60/40 in Omaha. Too many people would just be jamming their draws on the flop with maximum FE. By making the game Pot Limit, seeing a turn card becomes more likely- a card that can complete a lot of hands and set people up to get freerolled, which is a huge part of the game. Playing it NL would probably just be silly, if not extremely exploitable.

Learn Omaha. Hi/lo, Pl ,any form. If any game takes away any popularlity from NLH it will be Omaha. It's gaining in players and is a fun game to play. I just started to learn this game.

There is a reason that all of the games are lumped under the category of poker the better you understand them all the more well rounded you will be meaning that you will be stronger in all aspects of your game and will win more!!!

I agree with Stu Unger. By playing Limit poker, whether it is Hold Em, Omaha, Stud or whatever, you learn alot of nuances in the game itself and in betting styles that you can take into the PL or NL games. Limit can be boring but it teaches great lessons in patience, position, aggression and decision making.