Game Selection - Strategy Article

I once read a phrase in a poker book:-

‘If you were the 6th best poker player in the world, you’d be pretty pleased. Until, you sit at a table with the top 5 players’

Online, there are an abundance of sites, and tables per stake, that you can play at and sit at. So why pick the first table that has an empty seat? That’s lazy, and lazy doesn’t get you the money!

I’d estimate that good game selection can double a player’s winrate. That sounds a lot – but I’d also estimate that 70% at least of my profit comes from fish! If you are on a table with no fish then it follows you have less chance of winning!

So how do you find a good table? Here is my advice.

When I log onto Full Tilt, I get PokerTracker and Poker Ace Hud running immediately. I then scan the tables at my limit, and load up all those that have the majority of players with decent sized stacks at them. This is vital because playing against short stacks destroys the implied odds of hands like pocket pairs and 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’d want to sit on a table where there’s more money to win. Thereby, making more of your edge.

I’ll then wait for a couple of minutes for HUD to pick up the tables. Once this is done, I’ll scan each individual table.

I’ll basically ditch any table with an average VPIP of <30%. This would be a tight table generally. One exception to this rule would be if there was one fish on there – I mean a massive donator – with like 2x buyin or more, and there was a seat available on his direct left or two to his left. I’d probably take that seat.

After doing all these processes, I’ll have a shortlist of tables to choose which ones I will play. The next step is to analyse which is the juiciest…Here I’m looking for players who are loose/passive – I’m talking VPIP of >40% with a PFR of <10% - with decent money in front of them. I wouldn’t really tend to avoid a particular regular, but if there are a couple of decent regulars with a fish I may give the table a miss possibly.

After all this, you should be able to compact all the available tables into a group which will be the tables you are going to play at.

If there is a waiting list for a table – join it. Be patient! Don’t be tempted to give up waiting on a table and join a worse one.

When I choose a particular seat on a table, I don’t really want any loose players on my direct left. Basically 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’d probably turn it down and wait for a better seat. Unless the table was full of players like that, in which case I’d have to take it! But generally, I’d reject the seat and wait to get position on my target(s).

It’s also important to realise when a table has gone bad, and that 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, meaning you are left with tight regulars. Just walk away and find somewhere better to play!

I’ve been in situations before where there’s been a big fish on a table, and 3 or 4 pretty solid players. I’ve then stacked the fish almost immediately, and he has left the table. As soon as that big blind hits me, I am gone too! It’s not expected of you to stay at the table after you’ve won a big pot. Poker is a ruthless game, and you have to take the decisions which will benefit you the most.

And that is my guide to game selection. As I mentioned earlier, good game selection can really boost your winrate. If you don’t practice it, you really are throwing $ away!