Table Selection

Recently scoured articles and forums for information about how to properly choose tables to play at. Apparently there are four schools of thought on this. I present them below.

1) Way of the Bonus Whore

How: Choose the tables with the largest average pot.

Advantages: Bigger pots mean more rake and more rake means you clear your bonus quicker. Bigger pots often mean fish too.

Disadvantages: You know little about the players you are sitting down with. The large average pot size could be due to just a couple recent large hands and not representative of the true nature of the table.

2) The Loose Aggressive's (LAG) Playground and the Tight Aggressive's (TAG) Web

How: Choose tables that are most profitable for your strategy. LAG's look for tables with smaller pots and/or passive players (often a small amount of players seeing the flop). This way they can run over the table with bluffs and middle pairs and still see a nice profit. TAG's prefer tables with larger pots and many calling stations (lots of people seeing the flop) so that they can wait longer in between hands but get paid off big when they do have a good one.

Advantages: Let's you choose the type of table that you are most comfortable with. Prevents you from risking your money at a table where your style of play is a detriment. For example, it’s bad for LAG to be at a table with many trapping players or for a TAG to be at a table with a bunch of other tight players where no one gets paid off.

Disadvantages: You have to spend more time looking for a good table and may have to wait on waiting lists for the tables you find satisfactory.

3) The Picky Sitter (You know who you are. “This seat is a little dirty.” “This is too close to the door, but that one is by a vent.” “I can't stay in this hotel room because I can hear the cars outside.” Etc. Etc.)

How: These players tend to go one step further in table selection. After they have chosen a few tables that have favorable pot sizes and players per flop, they observe the table for a while before they sit down. Then they only sit once they have found an open seat with the good position on the other players (Aggressive players acting before you and passive players behind you).

Advantages: You have all the advantages of the previous two methods plus favorable position. Position is one of those things that can’t be overvalued. Good position makes everything at the poker table easier. Also, there is the added advantage of having some knowledge of your fellow poker players.

Disadvantages: You have to spend quite a bit of time studying the tables and then waiting for spots to open with favorable position.

4) Nerds and their Mines

How: Some players out there have programs like Poker Tracker that mine data from hand histories about tables and the players sitting at them. (I, too, have this program but I don’t spend as much time as I should choosing tables. Most of the time I use method #2.) These individuals open up many different tables and leave for 30-60 minutes while letting Poker Tracker do the work. Then they come back, sit at the most profitable tables, and have lots of information at their fingertips about the other people playing with them.

Advantages: You get to choose the most profitable tables and you have a lot of information about your “ATMs.” Knowledge is power or, in poker, stacks and stacks of chips being pushed in your direction.

Disadvantages: Takes a lot of time. Some may find it unethical to use computer software as a tool in beating other poker players. Finally, only playing in very favorable situations and with lots of artificially obtained data will stifle your growth as a player. How will you truly become a great player if you always play in position or against weak fish?

In conclusion, if you just want to make as much money as you can right now, choose methods 3 and 4. If you just want to sit down and play asap, choose method 1. However, if you want to challenge yourself every now and then but still be in favorable situations most of the time, choose methods 2 or 3. You won’t maximize your short term results but as always with poker, it is the long term that you should be shooting for.