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Choosing the right table is sometimes like choosing the best slot machine at a local land casino. The choice is about something that jives or connects with you. Choosing the right online poker site is not so easy and the outcome can be a little less than favourable if you are not careful. We applied our many years of playing online to the test when determining which sites would make our list of highly recommended poker sites. So, once you have chosen one of the great UK Poker sites from our comprehensive listing the next step is to find which are the most profitable tables. Spending just a few minutes to make sure that the table you join is right for you can dramatically improve your online poker profits. This article will show how table selection in online poker is just as important to your bankroll as the cards that you play.
Whatever specific game and stakes at which you play there are some important things to look out for when choosing the most profitable tables. These are; the average amount of players in each pot, the average pot size and the position at the table of certain types of player. It doesn’t hurt to identify which poker game leads to possible freerolls or other benefits that will help keep you in the variance pool for a little longer.
Most of the poker sites we cover in our listing of the best UK poker sites display statistics in the lobby to help you choose a suitable table. The statistics on ‘percentage of players in each pot’ and the ‘average pot size are actually inter-related.
A table with a high percentage of players per pot and a low average pot size indicates that there are many players ‘limping’ into pots. It also shows that one or two bets after the flop are all it takes to win the pot. The best description of this kind of table is loose and passive – many players to each pot but nobody building committing many of chips after the flop.
The opposite kind of table would have only a few players in each pot, yet large pots compared with the stakes. Usually a few loose and aggressive individuals are often going to showdown with dubious holdings characterize these type of tables.
Which kind of table you choose will ultimately depend on your style of play. For example if you are a great post-flop poker player then it can be profitable to avoid those wild players going all-in before the flop. If you prefer to be tight and aggressive than the more passive opponents may bring you the best poker profits. Some of the UK poker sites that we cover are more likely to have one style of table than the other – our detailed reviews will assist you in finding the right site to profit from your table selection skills.
The basic statistics are only one part of the table selection story. In order to further increase your profits you need to take into account your opponent’s stack sizes and their position at the table. Once you have found a candidate table watching a couple of hands before you join can be a great benefit.
Starting with the stack sizes you should make sure that the table is not populated by too many ‘short-stacks’, because many players buy-in for the minimum and are thus not in a position to pay you off when you hit a monster hand. While many tables have one or two short stacks, having too many of these can negate your skill advantage – they are more likely to be all-in (or at least pot committed) early in the hand.
If the open seat at the table is next to an aggressive better, than you might also want to look for another table. Someone who raises every hand seated to your right will make playing very difficult indeed. Look out for the sizes of the stacks and playing styles around the open seat and make sure that these are suitable for you.
Table selection in online poker is a key skill, once you have found the right online poker site for you spend a few minutes to ensure that the table you are joining will maximize your online poker profits.
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