What are game limits and what do NL, PL and FL mean?

Ignition Casino offers No Limit, Pot Limit, and Fixed Limit game types. What you choose decides the amount you are able to bet in each turn per betting round.

Fixed Limit (FL)

In a Fixed Limit game, both the bet and raise amounts for each round are a pre-set amount, which is listed under the "stakes" column for that table. For example, in a $5/$10 Fixed Texas Hold'em game, both the bets and raises for the first two rounds of betting must be $5, no more, no less. The last two rounds have a bet/raise amount of $10.

The Cap: In Fixed Limit games, each round of betting has a maximum number (three) of allowable raises known as the cap. So, if a bet is made, that bet can only be raised three times, after which all players must call or fold. If only two players remain in the hand, the cap is increased to a maximum of five raises. This rule is in effect for all the betting rounds to speed up play.

Fixed Limit games are popular because they're safe. While pots can still climb quickly, on average Fixed Limit pots stay consistent in size and remain the smallest for the three game types.

Pot Limit (PL)

In a Pot Limit game, you can't bet more than the current pot amount plus whatever it takes to call the previous bet. The minimum bet is the big blind, ($10 in our $5/$10 game) and, if a bet is made, any raises must be equal to or greater than the previous raise.

For example, let’s say we're playing a $5/$10 PL game, and the pot has reached $100. A player (we'll call him John) bets the minimum $10. You've got a great hand and you want to raise the maximum. The most you can raise is:

Original Pot ($100) + Previous Bets ($10) + Call Amount ($10) = $120, making your total bet amount $130.

Now a player to your left (call her Lisa) wants to raise you the maximum amount. Just add one more step to the formula:

Original Pot ($100) + Previous Bets [John's bet ($10) + Your bet ($120)] + Call Amount ($130) = $360, making Lisa's total bet amount $490 (your bet + her raise).

Now, let's say you don't think your hand is good enough to bet the pot, but you still want to raise on John. Your raise must be at least equal to his bet, so your total bet must be at least $20. If you bet $20, and Lisa wants to raise you the minimum, her bet must be at least $40. There is no cap to the number of raises per betting round, so you can keep raising until you run out of money.

No Limit (NL)

There are no maximum limits in No Limit poker and you can bet your whole stack at any time. The minimum bet is the high stake or the big blind amount ($10 in or $5/$10 game). Similar to a PL, your raise must be at least equal to the previous bets/raises. There are no caps to the number of raises per betting round, so a stack of chips can be lost quickly.

In both PL and NL, if somebody bets or raises you more than your current chip stack, you can call "all-in." In this case, you will have a shot at winning the "main pot" corresponding to your stack and any further raises go into a side pot, which you aren't a part of. So, if you've got the best hand, you'll win the main pot that holds your all-in bet, and the side pot will go to the person with the next best hand (as long as they contributed to the side pot).

A "bet slider" is displayed when the action turns to you. Move the slider or type your raise amount in the bet field.

Get to learn more about online poker by searching to the topic in our help center. We’ve got your back at Ignition Casino.