How does pot limit work?

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ludde2009

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I've been playing NL hold'em ever since I started playing poker, and recently i tried some PLO.

I still don't understand how the system works. Let's say I start at 2nl, the blinds make the pot 3c.

The maximum I can bet now is 7c according to pokerstars? Shouldn't it only be 6 cents (call bb+3c raise) since the pot is 3 cents?

Also if I'm in the big blind and someone raises to 6c (pot 9c), I can reraise him to 19c. To me it makes more sense here to either be able to raise to 18c (9+9) or 26c (call the initial raise, 4c - pot 13c - then raise pot to 26c)

This makes me so confused. I'd be glad if someone could explain it.
 
Lucothefish

Lucothefish

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The maximum I can bet now is 7c according to pokerstars? Shouldn't it only be 6 cents (call bb+3c raise) since the pot is 3 cents?

Pot limit is easy when you know how, you always have to add on the cost of your own call.

The pot is 3c, it costs you 2c to call, making the pot 5c - therefore the most you can raise the pot to is 10c and there's already three in the pot, hence the 7c raise.

Also if I'm in the big blind and someone raises to 6c (pot 9c), I can reraise him to 19c. To me it makes more sense here to either be able to raise to 18c (9+9) or 26c (call the initial raise, 4c - pot 13c - then raise pot to 26c)

This makes me so confused. I'd be glad if someone could explain it.

Do you mean reraise him by 19c, not to 19c?

I think pokerstars and other sites round up to the nearest bb when computing raise limits. So in your example he raises so the pot is 9c and you pay 4c to call making it 13c (round to 14c), so a pot raise would be 28c. Take off the 9c existing pot and your raise is therefore 19c.

Rounding off is very common especially live. If you can get your head around pot raise sizing and the whole 'two, exactly two' thing you're well on your way to being a PLO pro :)
 
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jmac3454

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I've been playing NL hold'em ever since I started playing poker, and recently i tried some PLO.

I still don't understand how the system works. Let's say I start at 2nl, the blinds make the pot 3c.

The maximum I can bet now is 7c according to pokerstars? Shouldn't it only be 6 cents (call bb+3c raise) since the pot is 3 cents?

Also if I'm in the big blind and someone raises to 6c (pot 9c), I can reraise him to 19c. To me it makes more sense here to either be able to raise to 18c (9+9) or 26c (call the initial raise, 4c - pot 13c - then raise pot to 26c)

This makes me so confused. I'd be glad if someone could explain it.

There is a shortcut for figuring out what the pot raise will be, especially useful if you're playing a live cash game. Say the blinds are $1/$2 and preflop there is one limp for $2. A pot raise would be 3x the last bet or limp + add up behind. In this example a pot raise would be $9 ($2x3 + add up blinds) If you're raising out of the blinds it's different. if everyone folds to you in the small blind ($1) you can only raise 3x the big blind of ($2) (there is nothing to add up behind) so pot raise is $6. Hope this helps.
 
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DunningKruger

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It's worth noting that a pot size bet or raise will always give your opponent 2:1 odds on a call (unless someone else also calls first). You're simply putting in the same amount the pot is ~after~ matching whatever bet/raise/blind there might be to call.
 
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pokerjack43

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your call is part of the pot, so it gets added to your raise figure.

$1/$2 blinds,

you raise pot so your call $2 plus the blinds Pot is now $5 on top of your call
so $7 in total.
 
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