Selecting A Good Table

One of the most important skills in poker is table selection. If you are one of the world's top players but insist on playing against only the select few who are better than you, you will probably be a long-term loser. However, an average player can usually make a profit simply by playing against opponents that are significantly worse than him.

So, knowing about the importance of selecting easy competition, how does one go about finding the fish? This essay looks at some of the indicators online poker sites offer, and which are reliable.

%/Flop (or %/4th)

The most common statistic used to determine the looseness of a potential table is the %/flop seen on the table's description in the lobby. All major sites (except Party/Empire) have this feature.

Advantages: The best way to find a good, loose table is to look where several players are calling with too many hands in the first betting round. The most direct way to do this is to look at what percentage of the table is staying in on the first betting round.

Disadvantages: This statistic typically averages the data from about the last 20 hands played. If the flop percentage seems quite high, it is very likely that the game was being played shorthanded 10 hands ago. Since it is natural for the flop percentage to be much higher in a shorthanded game, this tends to make the flop percentage appear much higher than it actually is. (One way to check on this is to look at the hands/hour statistic. If it is over 70, chances are the game was shorthanded recently.)

Bottom line: Look for tables with big flop percentages, but leave if they become tight.

Average Pot Size

All major sites have the average pot size for each table listed on the lobby.

Advantages: A bigger average pot size generally indicates that the table is generating more action and features players going too far with their hands, which of course is great for you.

Disadvantages: Unfortunately, without watching the table it is impossible to tell if this bigger pot size is due to looser play than usual, or more aggressive play than usual. Aggressive games can still be quite profitable, but they are not as soft as passive games, and greatly increase the size of your fluctuations at the table, which is something to be avoided on a small bankroll.

Bottom line: A bigger average pot will add some to your win rate, but probably make your swings much bigger.

Waiting List

If the table conditions are favorable, but there is already a waiting list of two or more players, it is likely that the texture of the game will change significantly by the time you get a seat. Chances are the better players have noticed the loose table and are lining up to take a seat. Thus, a good table is worth significantly more with no players in front of you on the waiting list. If the waiting list is four or more players, don't expect the game to remain good by the time you sit down.

The bottom line

So how should you pick a good table? In my opinion, there is no better way to assess a table than to simply watch it for a little while. Thus, if you see an apparently good game, go ahead and take a seat or get on the waiting list. (This way the table or list won't fill up while you are observing.) While you wait for your seat or for the blind to get to you, look at how many players are seeing the flop, how often it is raised preflop, and how much betting there is on the later streets. This should give you a good idea what to expect from the other players at the table.

If you play on a small site, it is also very helpful to know the names of the really bad players so that you can sit with them whenever possible. It is also helpful to do this on UltimateBet since the UltimateBuddy feature allows you to instantly jump to their table when they sit down.

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