Normally, table selection doesn't come into play if you're accustomed to playing in anything but big casinos, where you might be able to select your table. Most of the time however, the floor man directs you to a table to be seated at and that's it. Online poker is very different in this aspect, because you can come and go as you choose. Table selection is huge when playing online poker – if you’re meeting good players all the time, you’ll never make progress, as you’ll never have that edge. Look for those bad players who will give you money more often than not, and your win-rate will look much more impressive. Quick Note for US Readers.
Good table selection is important if you want to maximize winnings from your time spent playing poker. But what is the right table for your poker game ?
- Have position on weaker players as often as possible
Being seated with at least one fish is a good thing, but having position on them is even better. You will be able to exploit their weaknesses more easily and play plenty of pots in position against them, which will translate to a very profitable session quite often. Try to think of a timer being above the head of a fish, because he will give his money away sooner rather than later, and you need to make sure you have the best chance of claiming a large piece of it by playing many pots against them.
- Start tables
Sometimes it’s difficult to find the perfect table. The clearest solution to that problem is often to sit at a new one. The reasons for this are: stronger players don’t want a table that is two or three handed if they are multi tabling, because decisions come around more quickly. Also, if you are a strong player, other good players may have you tagged as strong and will not want to sit, increasing the chances that the next player who sits will be weaker.
- Select the time of day that you play
The standard of play at tables can fluctuate depending on the time of day you choose to play. Some people will tell you certain hours are better than others, but it’s always best to try different times out for yourself. As a general rule, weekends are always better than weekdays. Through a process of trial and error, you should soon be able to discover which times of the day are best.
- Remain positive
Always exude a positive vibe whilst playing. Be friendly but not too chatty.
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- Stay calm
Bad hand? Don’t get too frustrated and show your emotions. In playing poker, one thing you have to master is controlling your emotions. A Simple frown or eyebrow movement can give away your hand. - Never lose your focus
Most new players make the mistake of losing their focus. There might be some instances that players might frustrated you, i.e. folding too often that might cause you to lose your focus. Ignore your opponent’s strategy and divert your focus on your card and strategy.
Online Poker Table Selection Rules
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Anyone who played any online poker beyond the »giving it a try« phase will know that table selection is important. It makes a huge difference to play at the right table and it’s also really easy to table select online, but what about live?
In the live arena there are some restraints, but table selection is still important. Of course your casino or card room first has to have more than one table open or a regular fluctuation of players. So how do you table select live.
Well, if the poker room is open for non-players, just walk in, watch the games a little and see which table has to worst players or a huge fish. Even if your table is fully occupied,you should just put yourself on the wait-list and go play some slots or play some online slots in the meantime.
In the end it will be more profitable to gamble away a few bucks on slot machines, or you can use up an online bonus to play some free slots, while you wait for a good table, than to play at a bad table just because it has a seat open.
Maybe your local casino/card room is small and usually has only one table running. You can still table select in a way. You can always wait on the rail until someone who you wish to play against joins the table. Instead of forcing your self to play while the game is bad, you can get a drink stay on the rail and gather reads on the other players.
Online Poker Table Selection Results
So what to look for when selecting a live table?
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The number one thing for me would be to find the table with the most drunk people. They are always a big moneymaker for other players at the table. Other than that just look for anyone that leaves a lot of dead-money in the pot and people that loosely spew money. Since live games are slow and the rake is high you really want players that play big pots with bad hands.
And always keep in mind that, if a wait-list is too long, once you get seated you won’t be sitting down at the same table you signed up for.
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