As you enter a card room for the first time or so, you might see many different tables. Some card rooms have over 100 and some have just a few. There will be different levels of play and you must determine which level you are interested in. Below describes the levels split into two categories of low and high limit.
Low Limit
This game is often referred to, tongue in cheek, as "No fold'em hold'em."
Why do people call it that? First it must be understood that if you are playing in a $2-$4 game (which is a very popular low limit game), then you cannot equate it to a $20-$40 game by multiplying by 10 and using the same strategy. It simply will not work. Low limit players as in a $2-$4 game will very often play anything and everything and take it right on down to the river regardless of what has been bet and raised. Hence, "no fold'em hold'em." You will quite assuredly never see this happen in a high limit $20-$40 game. Low limit games are considered to be in the range between $1-$2 on the low end and $6-$12 on the high end.
Understand that you will be playing against less experienced players in a low limit game. This means that it is harder to read their play. It is almost useless to try and bluff, and they make many, many mistakes that will work against you when you are the only one who knows how to play. Luck is a huge factor in a low limit game. There is a mentality here of "heck, it's only $3, Ill see one more card." For you to win at low limit poker, you must play your game which should be tight aggressive, and learn which players have no idea how to play and who plays everything. These players are normally here to "gamble and have fun" and to literally give their money away. Many players in a low limit game will play any Ace to the end no matter what falls on the board. They have no knowledge or experience in knowing that just because you hold an Ace in your hand does not necessarily make it a winner. These are the players you "lick your chops" to be playing against.
Conceptually, the idea of low limit and high limit is the same. Strategically there is a vast difference. Even though position should always be a factor when calling or raising a bet, usually in a low limit game the players are there to see the flop. Then, they end up catching a piece of it and decide that they probably have a big chance of winning when in essence they were the total underdog pre-flop. The good news is, you most likely will not meet any professionals playing low limit. On an average, when you are winning, you can expect to win between one to two big bets an hour. If you are winning, then that averages out to about $6 an hour. It is most likely that no professional will spend his time in this game.
Here is the bottom line as I see it in low limit poker. If you are just beginning, then this is a great place to practice your skills. Learning about each player, picking up on "tells", learning to read a board and making good hand selection are all skills that will increase your competency. Once you are feeling good about your poker knowledge, skills and abilities, you will often find a loose game and make a killing at it.
High Limit
High limit poker is regarded as games with limits above $10-$20.
A player who likes to enter these games is entering at the risk of playing against professionals and well-seasoned poker "gurus". There are some major considerations to take account of before sitting down in one of these high stake games.
Play to win. This is not a game for people without courage and stamina. Have an ample bankroll. If you are playing with money that is not earmarked for poker, then you are losing site of good money management. Table stakes should be at least 20-30 times the big bet. Your bankroll (in your pocket) should be at least 200-300 times the big bet. To play high limit poker, you must permit yourself the liberty of action to the absolute extent of your financial capacity. This means that playing scared, or in a game where the stakes are too hazardous is going to possibly frighten you away from playing your absolute best. If you lose your table stakes, which is approximately 10% of your total bankroll, then it is time to quit and come back on a better day.
Keep records.
If you are winning, stay as long as you want to. Be advised that if you are tired and begin to see yourself making poor judgment calls, it is time to quit. Quitting a winner in a high limit game is a great accomplishment.
In high limit poker, you must develop the skill to estimate what your opponents have. Expanding your skills to be able to outguess your opponents is mandatory to make it at this level of play. Be alert at all times, not only when you are participating in a hand. Watch the other players. Learn to put players on the hand they are playing. See how close you come when it comes to showdown. Learn to get a lock on their game and their disposition. This ability will set you far above the rest of the field.
Bluffing actually fulfills two purposes for you in high limit poker. Unlike low limit poker, bluffing actually can bring down some really big pots for you. It is not a strategy you use regularly, but is one to "keep the field guessing". It is not a good idea to sit down at a new table and start out bluffing. Let the field call you and see you play legitimate hands before you try this tactic.
You want to create continuous doubt in the minds of the other players. This way they will not always be certain or not if you have a good hand when you bet and will hopefully call your bets when you bet on truly strong valid hands.
You would like to just flat out win the pot because all the other players fold because of their respect for you. The name of the game is to keep them guessing.