There is no set format for setting up all poker games, regardless of the game variety. When playing one of the many game variations at the best online poker sites, you must keep in mind that both the limit rules and stakes also contribute to the way the game is played. While the stakes may alter a poker players way of approaching the game, betting formats set rules for how much a poker player may wager during a game. The four major types of betting limits at online poker sites include fixed limit, pot limit, spread limit and no limit.

The best online poker sites for betting formats will offer fixed limit, pot limit and no limit poker games. Some online poker sites will feature spread limit poker games on occasion.

• Fixed Limit Poker Sites – Many poker websites specialize in fixed limit betting poker games where the amount each player can bet during a betting decision is set based on the small and big blinds, or stakes of the game. In games that use a big blind, the small bet allowed at fixed limit online poker sites is equal to the big blind established for the game. This small bet is used for the opening betting round. The big bet is used in later betting rounds and is twice the amount of the small bet. While no single bet can exceed or fall below the fixed bet, multiple bets are allowed in later betting rounds at fixed limit online poker sites.
• Pot Limit Poker Sites – At online poker sites that offer pot limit games, limits are established based on the size of the pot before a bet. So, no bet can be made that exceeds the amount of money in the pot – but bets can be made that are smaller than the amount in the pot. While pot limit online poker sites are popular for their simplicity, there is one important rule to remember. When a raise is made, the call must first be calculated as part of the pot before determining the maximum betting cap. So, if a player makes a $5.00 bet to form a $10.00 pot and a player wishes to make a raise, the actual pot size is $15.00, not $10.00.
• Spread Limit Poker Sites – Poker sites that have spread limit tables are actually quite rare and most spread limit betting formats are used at home games. Still, there are some online poker sites that offer spread limit poker games from time to time. Spread limit online poker sites feature betting limits that are established before the game; $2.00 to $12.00, for example. In this example, this means that no bet can be below $2.00 or above $12.00. However, any bet between those two amounts is acceptable. Some variations of spread limit poker games, like California Spread, have betting limits that are very large – sometimes from $1.00 to $1,000 or larger.
• No Limit Poker Sites – Poker sites with no limit games are among the most popular on the Internet. Almost every major poker tournament’s main event consists of no limit poker play. Just as the name implies, there are essentially no betting limits at no limit online poker sites, beyond the amount in a player’s chip stack. No limit poker games can, and sometimes do, end after the very first hand of play. Whether a player is making a bet or raise on another bet, they are free to bet as much as they like during a betting decision. However, no limit online poker sites are sometimes avoided by players who are afraid that one big hand can give a single player on insurmountable chip lead.