POKER Stragery: Pick The Right Table in Online Poker Articles | Poker

By: Richard Bleuze

Picking the right table is essential and the table stats tell you what you need to know. The general playing table stats available are, number of hands per hour, average pot size and flop view percentage. Using these three very valuable bits of information gives you a great advantage, even before you lay your first bet.

So what do these stats mean as they apply to picking the right table in online poker?

Number of hands per hour

When analyzing the relevance of this information, be sure to factor in the number of players at the table, as a table of five will always play more hands than a table of ten.

But all things being equal, a high number of hands played per hour tells you that a lot of players are folding early, probably before the flop, and not too many see the river with raises and re raises along the way. A high number of hands per hour probably indicates a tight passive table, or even worse, a tight aggressive table. Much better is a table with a lower number of hands played hour, which means a lot of loose betting to the river, bigger pots, and easier winnings for anyone entering ready to play tight and statistical aggressive poker.

If you do play at a table with a high number of hands per hour, you have a far better probability of successfully stealing the blinds, but it also means that when players play deep into the boards…they've probably got the goods.

Average pot size

Don't sit at tables with low average pot sizes as this tells you that not many players are investing into the turn or to the river, and that the game is too tight to really exploit.

Flop view percentage

The flop view percentage is a percentage of players who see the betting at least into the flop. This is the most important of the three stats, since nothing tells you more about the playing styles of your opponents at the table, and a low flop percentage means a very tight and cautious table.

The one up side to a low flop view percentage is that it does mean that plays to steal the blinds are far more likely to be profitable.

Thus, when you observe the above, you'll learn that when you take your time picking a table, and make full use of available and easy to understand table stats when selecting your table, you'll make more money!

Picking the right table in online poker is a must. Picking the right online poker room is just as important. Be sure to check out 5Dimes poker rooms (3)!