Beginner Strategies: Choosing the Right Table

Beginner Strategies, Online Poker
November 18 2008

Sometimes what makes the difference between winning and losing can simply be sitting down at the wrong table. Unfortunately, when you’re looking for a table online the players don’t wear signs that say “I’m a fish” or “I’m a shark,” but there are ways to pick out tables more suited for beginners.

The best kind of table for a beginner player is a loose passive table because it allows for the best chance of success while playing a straightforward game. This is because generally there will be many players seeing the flop, but not a lot of aggressive betting. This will lead to more bad beats overall, but it will lead to more big pots as well.

When choosing a table you should look at three things. The first is the percentage of players at the table that see the flop. Most online poker rooms will give you this statistic; you just have to know where to look for it. What you want is a high percentage. When we say high we mean anything over 35%. This would be considered a loose table. The second thing to look at is average pot size. This should generally be at least 12 times the small blind to be appealing. The third thing to look for is any players you know to be weak. If you take online notes on your opponents (and you should), look for them at a table, and maybe if you’re lucky a few of your known weak players will sit at the same table. If they do, definitely sit down.

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