Poker Articles

Game theory and poker-specific strategy is certainly a huge part of being a winning poker player. It would be unrealistic to expect to win without making significant investments toward the refinement of both of these aspects of the game. However, I think game selection is a close third, and I don’t think it gets nearly enough attention in the poker community. I will share a few of the routine exercises I go through before I even take a seat at the poker table, keeping in mind that the methodology of game selection does change based on the stakes one chooses to play.
 
For lower to mid-stakes players, there are always games running. In general and for all practical purposes, these stakes offer far more tables than one could realistically expect to play at once. Given the number of tables available, I like to use the basic table statistics that all sites make available.

First is average pot size and number of hands per hour. Basically, when you sit down at a table, generating profits is predicated on taking more of what gets put in the middle than the average player. If more money is circulating at the table, then you have a greater volume of chips (per unit of time) from which to scoop. For example, assume I am multi-tabling NL $400, and I can fit one more table of three that are available to me. The first has an average pot of $50, the second has an average pot of $75, and the third has an average pot of $100. Then I check the number of hands per hour: The first plays 100 hands per hour, the second plays 110 hands per hour and the third plays 75 hands per hour. A little simple math will yield the information I am looking for. I multiply the size of the average pot by the number of hands per hour:

Table 1: $50 (average pot) x 100 (hands per hour) = (circulation of) $5,000/hour
Table 2: $75x 110= $8250
Table 3: $100x 75= $7500

Basically, the information that is produced describes the speed at which money is circulating. From our quick arithmetic, we can determine that the speed of circulation is greatest at table number two, so in the absence of other factors, this is always the table I will sit at. Keep in mind that if you sit down and after a few rounds notice that your table has tightened up or slowed down markedly, it is never a bad idea to run through this exercise again to determine whether you should still be sitting at that table. I will also note that when determining where to sit, I try to avoid both excessively short stacked tables and also tables full of giant stacks. 
 
Another factor that I find vitally important is being aware of where the strongest players are. Generally, I find that the least profitable players to sit with are the solid regulars who put in very high volumes of play and are clear winners in the game. I steer clear of these players like the plague. I benefited hugely from making a habit of avoiding this player archetype. While at first, my ego made it hard not to defend my "territory," I eventually learned that I was only hurting myself. Given the choice of sitting with someone I know is a solid regular or somebody I don’t recognize, I will always play with the no-namer. Referring to our three-table paradigm, I would always rather play in table #3 if table #2 has even just one or two solid, winning regulars. 
 
Conversely, we should be keeping track of particularly weak players. If I spot a cash cow that does their best to donate money to the table, you can be sure that I will basically ignore the other guidelines I have set for myself in table selection. If I spot a tremendous fish, I will always take table #1 over the other two. I will even venture into shark territory (trying to avoid excessive confrontation) in order to get a chance to stack a real donk.

So ultimately, in terms of order of operations, I first check out average pots in relation to the number of hands per hour. Then I quickly scan for strong players to avoid and weak players on which to prey. In terms of order of importance, I would reverse these factors, the second taking precedence over the first. If you haven’t made these strategies routine, then start trying to be more selective about the tables you play, and I think you will find that increased profits will reflect the extra effort.