Table Selection

[nb1961]

Just recently I have set out to try and conquer my problems with playing ring games. I normally play tournaments and have struggled to play and win regularly playing cash tables.

I've tried some different things and just recently have started to make some sense of it and have started to win some money. One of the areas I still have a problem is table selection, I'm playing at .05/.10 nl on Fulltilt and Pokerstars. I play very tight in early/mid position and loosen up in late position. I use Pokertracker to identify how others are playing mainly because my attention wanders when I look at a computer screen for too long.

I generally pick out a tight table to play and I think I may be wrong in doing this, I can spend ages at the table and come away with very little profit.

Example of table, average pot less than $1, around 25% of players seeing the flop.

What do others look for when choosing a table to play?

[derringer007]

I'm also semi new to ring tables, i like to find around a 40-43% 9 handed table. I think 25% is a little tight and most pots will be small and non profitable in the long run.
Hope this will help

[wixx]

Yeah you want to play tight against one or two loose callers. Also remember that if you play for two hours and walk away with $10 profit...the next time you catch a hand early and are $10 up...leave and go to another table...you already won the $10 and can invest the two hours elsewhere...

[pokertoker]

Originally Posted by nb1961
I generally pick out a tight table to play and I think I may be wrong in doing this, I can spend ages at the table and come away with very little profit.

Example of table, average pot less than $1, around 25% of players seeing the flop.

I suppose this is a fine strategy for playing some 'proper' poker and/or clearing bonuses etc..

My own recent cash game has actually involved seeking out the same sort of low % of players per flop, difference being - I would pick a table with very high average pots.

Usually this means there are one or two maniac's at the table, which you could possibly() prey on.
In this scenario you may double up or go bust very quickly, but i prefer this - because it results in a shorter playing session and I think it's more fun.

If you do try this method, I would recommend opening up three or four 'very high average pots' tables, observe them for a time, then sit down at the table with the most predictable maniac at it

[spowers454]

I look for tables with a very high avg. pot size. I know this mean the chips are flying and I can play tight then watch calling stations hang themselves when I finally get the right hand that I want to play and can make a decent turn around in a short amount of time. This can be troublesome when I can catch a hand a normally lose a good bit before I finally have a hand hit with all the raising and calling going on get expensive to see a flop and if you miss you lost a good bit. Having to chase a flushdraw or any chase is very costly if I miss but very profitable to hit it. Don't know if thats the right way to go about it but I have had some success with it so I think I'm sticking to it

[nb1961]

I look for tables with a very high avg. pot size. I know this mean the chips are flying and I can play tight then watch calling stations hang themselves when I finally get the right hand that I want to play and can make a decent turn around in a short amount of time. This can be troublesome when I can catch a hand a normally lose a good bit before I finally have a hand hit with all the raising and calling going on get expensive to see a flop and if you miss you lost a good bit. Having to chase a flushdraw or any chase is very costly if I miss but very profitable to hit it. Don't know if thats the right way to go about it but I have had some success with it so I think I'm sticking to it

I tried this today, on Pokerstars it worked well but on Littlewoods it was a dead loss. Got KK let the manic player hang himself when he put in a big bet on the flop which I just called, he fired again on the turn which I re-raised all in which he called with 33 and he hit trips on the river . Ah well it's only money.

[OmahaOne]

Just don't get yourself in trouble playing ring games. It's way too easy to get caught-up when your used to playing mostly tournaments. Manage your bankroll and learn your limits.

OmahaOne

[nb1961]

Just don't get yourself in trouble playing ring games. It's way too easy to get caught-up when your used to playing mostly tournaments. Manage your bankroll and learn your limits.

OmahaOne

Oh without doubt I do that, at Stars I'm playing at such a low level compared to my bankroll. I won't move up any until I'm happy I've mastered a level. Which will probably be soon looking at Aprils stats so far I'm winning about 90% of sessions.

[LombardiStix]

I'm curious about how the "pot average" is created? How many hands go into that equation? Do you think it is the same on every poker room? If Stars is doing 10 hands and Carbon is doing 50 hands it makes a big difference. To use these statistics effectively you have to know how they are computed.

The way a table plays changes from minute to minute. A player or two leaving can change the pace and type of play you see. It's all so very relative.

[nb1961]

I'm curious about how the "pot average" is created? How many hands go into that equation? Do you think it is the same on every poker room? If Stars is doing 10 hands and Carbon is doing 50 hands it makes a big difference. To use these statistics effectively you have to know how they are computed.

The way a table plays changes from minute to minute. A player or two leaving can change the pace and type of play you see. It's all so very relative.

I agree, unfortunately I wouldn't know where they start with working it out. It may be over the life of the table, when a new table is opened it straight away has an average on Stars. I have started using it as a guideline, I now head for the table with the highest average pot, there is usually a queue to get on it so it seems I'm not the only one working this way. While I'm waiting I watch the table. It soon becomes very obvious which players are causing the high average. Then it's a matter of targeting those players when you get to the table. Once they bust out the table usually dies so you move on to the next. The advantage with stars is that there are so many tables running it's easy to find another. It usually works out that I play 4 or 5 hands while I'm at the table then leave the table after doubling my buy in. I can see that this strategy is only going to work on micro tables as I move up the buy ins I'll be picked off by better players when trying to work like this. I'll have to adapt when this happens.