Tables and Limits Insight

Poker game selection is not always easy, especially when you're surrounded by sharks. The strategy featured here will help you make the right game selection and improve your winning chances

One of the most important strategies a player has to learn in online poker is how to pick the right game. This is because no matter how skilled a player you are, if you end up at a table surrounded by sharks, you most probably won't be leaving it with any extra money. Selecting the right poker game doesn’t necessarily mean selecting the right poker variant (such as Texas Hold’em, Seven Card Stud or Five Card Stud). Selecting the right poker game for you means knowing which table to play at and with what limits, so that you can be in some sort of advantage over your competition. Relying on luck and rake will not take you very far otherwise.

So how does one choose the right poker game for them? The answer is finding a game you know that you can beat, and then knowing how to play it according to the competition you are faced with. There are several steps for doing this:

1. Get to know the players you are up against – if you are a frequent player at your online poker room or online casino, then there is a good chance that you will already know some of the players well. If not, it is just a matter of taking notes when playing – either literally writing them down or just making mental notes – such that you can quickly work out who is weak, who is strong, who you understand and what their playing styles are.
2. Try to see if the game is either passive or loose – a passive game is a good thing because it lets you make cheap draws and have only small losses on your hands that lose. This happens when people have good hands but don't bet hard on them or raise them, such that you can play for a while and get away with only small losses. Then again, a loose game can also be good for you; because it lets you win sizeable pots when you have strong enough hands. In loose poker games, the flop percentage is generally quite high, meaning that players will often call with weak hands that can be easily beat with a moderate one.
3. Keep track of your opponents' mistakes and take advantage of them!