Sunday, March 12, 2006
Table Selection
I want to take a second to emphasize the importance of table selection. I have been playing poker online for the better part of the last three years but until recently I never really put much stock into table selection. I am embarassed to say this but now I feel that table selection is probably the most important factor in determining whether or not you make a profit playing online poker. I will explain.....
For those of you that have been reading this from the beginning you know that I consider myself to be a tighter than average player. In order for this style of poker to be profitable I need the table that I am playing at to be condusive to paying off my big hands when they finally come around. For example, if I fold every hand that I play for an hour, finally pick up AA or KK, raise the pot, only to have a table full of timid people fold around to me, I will not be profitable in the long run. On the other hand if I am at a table full of loose aggressive people that are willing to see a flop with just about any two cards then I am almost guaranteed to get paid when I get my monsters.
So keeping that in mind you must use the following rule to decide which table you are going ot sit at.
If a table has a small average pot size, it generally means that not many players are calling big bets and taking their hands to the river. The loose agressive player can bully this table around. His natural style is profitable at this table because it is the opposite of the rest of the people there.
Conversely a table with a larger average pot size has many people calling bets on draws and going to the showdown. This type of table is perfect for the tight agressive types. He can wait patiently for monster hands and cash in.
note: average pot size is a typical stat that most poker sites display next to the table name in the lobby.
If I am ready to play an online session, and there aren't any tables that I feel will be profitable for me, then I do not play. Sure it sucks because I was looking forward to a nice session of my favorite game, but why play if the odds aren't in my favor. To get around this problem I have poker accounts on four or five online poker rooms. Chances are that at one of the sites there will be a table that fits my playstyle.
And just as a side note I find that Thursday-Saturday evenings (usually 9:30pm - 2:30am EST) are the most profitable times to play for me. At this point a lot of people like to have a few beers and gamble a bit. This situation is extremely profitable for a player like me.
So please, keep this in mind next time you decide to sit down at the table (unless you see DHarrison there, in that case, keep you money in your wallet unless you want to make a donation to my quest :P).
-d.arthur
For those of you that have been reading this from the beginning you know that I consider myself to be a tighter than average player. In order for this style of poker to be profitable I need the table that I am playing at to be condusive to paying off my big hands when they finally come around. For example, if I fold every hand that I play for an hour, finally pick up AA or KK, raise the pot, only to have a table full of timid people fold around to me, I will not be profitable in the long run. On the other hand if I am at a table full of loose aggressive people that are willing to see a flop with just about any two cards then I am almost guaranteed to get paid when I get my monsters.
So keeping that in mind you must use the following rule to decide which table you are going ot sit at.
The looser your play style, the smaller you want the average pot at the table to be.
If a table has a small average pot size, it generally means that not many players are calling big bets and taking their hands to the river. The loose agressive player can bully this table around. His natural style is profitable at this table because it is the opposite of the rest of the people there.
Conversely a table with a larger average pot size has many people calling bets on draws and going to the showdown. This type of table is perfect for the tight agressive types. He can wait patiently for monster hands and cash in.
note: average pot size is a typical stat that most poker sites display next to the table name in the lobby.
If I am ready to play an online session, and there aren't any tables that I feel will be profitable for me, then I do not play. Sure it sucks because I was looking forward to a nice session of my favorite game, but why play if the odds aren't in my favor. To get around this problem I have poker accounts on four or five online poker rooms. Chances are that at one of the sites there will be a table that fits my playstyle.
And just as a side note I find that Thursday-Saturday evenings (usually 9:30pm - 2:30am EST) are the most profitable times to play for me. At this point a lot of people like to have a few beers and gamble a bit. This situation is extremely profitable for a player like me.
So please, keep this in mind next time you decide to sit down at the table (unless you see DHarrison there, in that case, keep you money in your wallet unless you want to make a donation to my quest :P).
-d.arthur
