Selecting the Right Poker Table

If you were to ask poker players what the best ways to make money playing poker are you would surely get a wide variety of answers. Some players might say that you need luck, while some would tell you about having skill. Other players might tell you an even better answer like tight aggressive play and patience. If you asked around further players might try to explain positive expected value. Most of these answers would surely point you in the direction of poker prosperity. However, one major aspect of poker is often overlooked by the majority of players. Proper table selection in the poker room may be the single factor that determines whether or not you make money. It is not necessarily how good you are, but how your skill matches up to your opponents.

A great poker truth goes something like this, “if you are the 9th best player in the world playing against the top 8 you will go broke long term.” This saying is exactly correct since poker is a zero sum game. You make the majority of your money not off of your own brilliance, but on the mistakes of other players. It is crucial to find a small edge and maximize it over the course of hundreds or thousands of hands. Even if you play against people of equal talent, you are losing in the long run because of the rake collected out of each pot. Don’t let your ego get in the way of your potential profitability. Many aspects of table selection play a major role in your profitability. Make a serious and comprehensive evaluation of the tables, location and level you are playing at. It could seriously increase your bottom line at the poker table. Several questions should be asked of yourself before sitting down to play poker.

What stakes of poker are you playing?

In general, the higher the stakes you are playing the better your opponents will be. This is because beginning poker players usually start at the lowest stakes possible. Secondly, talented poker players who play for a living won’t waste their time at small stakes games. They prefer higher level games where they can maximize their skill advantage. Beginning players may not know poker rules and are obviously inexperienced. They also may have recently deposited money and could be trying to unlock their deposit bonus. In doing so they will play many more hands than they should, which should be to your benefit.

Is the poker room near a casino or horse/dog track?

This is the case in many regions in the United States. The majority of poker rooms in Florida are near a jai-lai, dog or horse track facility. This is important since people that bet on horses, dogs or jai-lai are basically playing the lottery. They have no concept of expected value or simply don’t care. Most people at these tracks are just in it to relax and have a good time. Poker rooms near major casinos may not be quite as fruitful as track based rooms. Casino based rooms usually attract a slightly more talented crowd.

What day of the week are you playing?

If you decide to sit down and play during the weekdays you will likely find “regulars” at brick and mortar card rooms. This isn’t necessarily the case when playing online because of the convenience of using the internet. Regulars or semi regulars are almost always better players since they have a lot of experience at the table. In most cases they are grinders and play very tight. They play for the long term and generally play better than most players. If you decide to play on Friday night or the weekend you are definitely making things easier on yourself. New players and people looking for entertainment usually play on Friday and Saturday nights. They don’t have to work and may have recently received their weekly paycheck from work. These two reasons alone make playing on the weekend the most profitable time to play.

Are you playing on or near a holiday?

The days surrounding Christmas and the New Years holidays are great times to play poker. Family and friends get together to enjoy the holidays. This is often accompanied with entertainment and gambling. In the northern part of the United States cold weather takes its toll on the region. People usually like to stay indoors and look for entertainment like football on television. A lot of poker rooms have revamped themselves to accommodate this by placing huge flat screen televisions throughout the poker room. All of these factors make the holiday season a time for poker cheer.

What time of day are you playing?

Playing in the morning hours generally isn’t a good idea. Players called “regulars” are generally present and can be somewhat tough to play against. Playing at night is usually best since people are again looking for entertainment after a long work week. These players are less concerned about winning and more concerned about gambling and having a thrill. Furthermore, alcoholic beverages are consumed much more in late afternoon and night. As you already know, intoxicated players tend to make poor decisions at the table.

How are your opponents playing?

The most important element of table selection is observing the opposition. When you sit down at the table, take notice of your opponents for a few hands until the big blind gets to you. Find out if they are tight, loose, aggressive or passive. Are they making wild raises and loud at the table? Do your opponents focus on the table action or the football game on television? The best type of opponent to play against is the loose passive opponent. That type of player will call way too much and won’t bet strong hands for value enough. Attack these types of players since they make the most mistakes. Is a player online on tilt and spewing off vulgar text in the chat box? Take advantage of this aggressive behavior with a trap play. Do everything you can to keep that player on tilt. The longer the person is upset the greater the chance they have of making mistakes. If you are playing against weak opponents play until they leave. If you see that your opponents are strong simply leave the table and find somewhere else to play. If you don’t feel like one of the top three players at the table simply select another table to play at.

All of these topics should help you increase your poker winnings over the long term. Remember, poker is a game of small advantages and table selection could be the one aspect you overlooked in your quest for poker profitability. Exploit the weaknesses of your opponents and your poker surroundings. Look for the weakest opponents possible and rooms with the most distractions. These concepts play out in nature everyday as well. Lions, sharks and wolves attack the weakest animals first. Likewise, you should attack the worst players at the table. If none exist, leave and find a more profitable opportunity. Always use proper table selection techniques in future play. It could be the difference between a winning and losing session or even your poker career.

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