When it comes to being successful in poker, there is one aspect that requires no poker strategy knowledge, yet it is still just as important as knowing the odds and best hands. We are talking about selecting the right game.
A lot of players that experience frequent losing streaks often can’t figure out why they are not taking down a lot of pots, and many times the losses can be attributed to having sat down in the wrong game.
Pick The Game That Offers You The Greatest Chance Of Winning
Picking the right game doesn’t necessarily mean you need to stop yourself from wandering into a Pot Limit Omaha game when you were trying to find a No Limit Texas Hold’em match, as trying new games is essential to your growth as a player.
Selecting the right game is about getting into a game that gives you the best opportunity to win. Finding a game that offers a high chance of financial success involves a number of different factors including the buy-in amount of the game, paying attention to the other players at the table and gauging their strength, and moving from table to table until you find one that suits you and your level of ability.
If you are new to the online poker scene, the first thing you need to decide is what level of buy-in you want to play at. A common mistake is to try and play at the same level online as you do in live cash games.
The problem with this is that normally online players are far tougher to beat than their live counterparts. You will want to consider moving down at least one level; for example, sitting at a $1-$2 No Limit Hold’em table instead of a $2-$4 table.
Understand Where You Sit In The Skill Range At Your Table
Once you have taken a seat, you now need to pay attention to the quality of your opponents. The classic saying is that if you don’t know who the fish (aka weakest player) is at the table, you are it.
You never want to be the worst player during a session, as your opponents will notice this quickly and make a target out of you. Therefore, if you find yourself in over your head due to the skill level of the other players at the table, you need to quickly move to another table and even consider moving down an additional buy-in level.
A general rule of thumb is that the higher the stakes, the better the players and many players new to online poker find success at stakes lower than they would normally play for.
In a perfect world, your ideal poker game will be one where you are comfortable with the amount of money required to play, plus you feel that you have an experience or skill edge on most of the other players.
When these two things come together in one great combination you will be able to focus on playing strong poker and making money.
Key Points
• Playing in the wrong game increases your chances of losing
• Online games are usually tougher than live ones
• Observe the players. Leave the table if you’re the weakest player and move on to another
• Choose a table where you feel comfortable with the stakes and the skill of your opponents
Chris
- Chris Laquinta is a magazine editor, content specialist and poker fanatic with 10+ years writing experience and over 1,500 published articles. Chris is a naitive of Southern California, where he spent his entire life learning gaming concepts and theories from relatives that had been former professional gamblers. He currently resides in Torrance, CA where he works as a professional content writer and part-time SNG professional.
