Spending just a few minutes on table selection before you play online is a well known tactic for increasing your profits. This can involve more than just finding known 'fish', and often depends on selecting games which will allow you to play your preferred style. For players who rely on rakeback for a large proportion of their poker earnings there is another important aspect to table selection - choosing tables where your rakeback earn will be highest.
This article examines the basics of rakeback table selection, first by looking into how to use poker site statistics to assess tables - and then looking at getting the balance right between finding profitable tables and maximizing your rakeback earnings.
Most poker sites display key information for choosing a table via their lobby view. Statistics include the average number of players seeing a flop (expressed as a percentage), and the average pot size. While the number of hands and inclusion of uncalled bets differ between sites, this information gives you a great comparative assessment of the tables available.
Key to deciding which tables are most profitable is the combination of figures. For example a table with a low percentage of players and small pot size is likely to be full of 'nut peddlers' waiting for a monster hand before committing. Conversely a loose and aggressive game will have high numbers for both pot size and players to flop. Between these we have the tight aggressive low players to flop high pot size and the loose but passive high percentage to flop but lower pot size.
Choosing the right table for profits usually involves finding a good fit to your own style. For example if you are aggressive and fearless then a tight table might give you great opportunities to steal many smaller pots. If you prefer a tight style then choosing the loose / crazy table and waiting to pounce could be idea.
But what about rakeback players who want to maximize their earn - for example while multi-tabling? Here we need to find the tables where the pot size is large enough to generate the maximum rake, yet the play exploitable enough for a solid multi-tabling style to profit.
Here the best candidate may well be the loose / passive table, which features high percentage of players to the flop, but lower pot size. While this can seem counter-intuitive (since high pot sizes generate more rakeback), the sheer number of pots being raked compared to other tables will quickly add to your earn. What is more these tables are easy to exploit with a solid multi-tabling style, value betting and implied odds plays both being ideally suited to this environment.
Of course, there is more to table selection than just the statistics. Keeping a close eye on changes to the table dynamic and knowing when it is time to leave is a key aspect. Another is the location of your seat in relation to any particularly aggressive and / or solid opponents. Once again this depends largely on your personal style of play, however it should be clear that having an opponent open every pot immediately to your right could require some adjustments. Make sure you select the best tables available - and watch your rakeback earnings grow!
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