If you were the 6th best poker player in the world you would be pleased to play any table... Until you sit at a table with the top 5 players.
Online, there are an abundance of sites that all have hundreads of cash-games, sit-n-gos and multi-table tournaments for any stake you will want to play. Most players are choosing their tables randomly but why pick the first table that has an empty seat?
You might be surprised to notice that a good game selection can easily double a player’s winnings. Sounds exaggerated? Find out for yourself! Most of the profits are made from fish and is easy to gain; Don’t sit at a table if it doesn’t look like an aquarium!
How can we find the best tables?
You can go with PokerTracker and Poker Ace Hud which has been developed for that purpose and then scan the tables for the limit you wish to play.
Using Poker Ace Hud you will be able to sort all tables using different criterias. For example you can list tables that have a majority of players with big stacks. This is vital because playing against short stacks destroys the implied odds of hands like pocket pairs. suited connectors and negates the effect of a LAG or semi LAG style. It also follows that if you consider yourself a winning player, you will want to sit on a table where there is more money to win.
Other options are available for free, as opposed to using Poker Ace Hud & PokerTracker. Many poker sites are offering table selection services but I recommend PokerTableRatings.com
that is free, functional and that provides other reliable free services that I consider all very useful.
When you have a fresh list of tables along with their attributes (VPIP, PFR, AGG, etc.) you should avoid any table with an average VPIP of less than30%. This would be a tight table generally.
After you have identified the juciest tables you will still be able to analyze them further more by looking at their player’s statistics if they are available to you. You want to sit at the table(s) that has most loose players with decent sized stacks in front of them.
Using waiting lists
It’s important to understand that a big waiting list means a considerable amount of different players will play at the table before you can sit at it yourself. Don’t hesitate to join a waiting list if there are only a few other players waiting before you but consider another player if more than 1/3 of the current players will be gone before you can join as this will affect the table stats.
Positional advantage and simple preferences
Avoid having any loose players on your direct left. They are going to be floating you without knowing it, meaning you are playing pots out of position which is obviously not ideal or conducive to winning poker. You want these loose players to your right where you have position on them and you can make them pay for playing pots out of position with substandard hands and suboptimal decision making.
If I was offered a seat on a juicy table with a 60/5 with 1.5x buyin who would be on my direct left, I would probably turn it down and wait for a better seat. Unless the table was full of players like that, in which case I wouldd have to take it but generally I will reject the opportunity and wait to get position on my target(s).
It is important to realise when a table has gone bad; when it’s time to find another one. If table VPIP has gone below 30%, that’s often a pretty good sign. Other factors may be if your main fish leaves the table and you are left with tight regulars. Just walk away and find somewhere better to play; Poker is a ruthless game, and you have to take the decisions which will benefit you the most.
Start selecting the tables at which you play, you will eventuall find your own tricks and preferences and come up with your very recipe but you will start to benefit from this strategy right away!
Good luck at the tables!
Poker is a ruthless game, and you have to take the decisions which will benefit you the most.
Know when to walk away and find a better spot to play.Sphere: Related Content
Tags: poker ace hud, poker software, poker table ratings, pokertracker, position, table selection, winning strategy
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