Picking the right table is just as important as playing the right cards.
At the low limit micro tables, picking up some fast cash with smaller risks yields a greater return. What tables should you be looking at to play?
One should be looking at playing at tables below their skill level, and that is what you should be doing, that is how you make winning sessions more often. We call this crushing the level. If you play at a table with half the players better and half worse then yourself, your chance to win money is the same as losing money….break even, which is losing money because of rake.
You want to sit down at a table where you are the best player.
It shouldn’t be to hard to find one. Join a table and watch, two or three in fact and just watch for 5-10 minutes before sitting down. Already you will be able to pick out a couple of weak players and those are the players you will exploit when you do sit down. Take some notes.
Just as important, you will see if there are any players who try to play fancy raising out of position, calling down with Ace Rag and calling over bets with draws.
On the low limit tables you do want to sit at a loose table, the only time you really want to sit at a tight table, is when its short handed. Ideally you want to be at a loose passive table. Players who do play a lot of hands and do call with draws.
If your playing at an aggressive table and even worse, a loose aggressive table, your chips will always be at risk on any given hand. Reduces the chances that jeopardizes your bankroll. If your a good player and know the odds, why sit at a high risk table?
Just remember, you do not need to play every hand with these players and if you do suffer a bad beat, do not tighten up or loosen up, play the game the way it suppose to be and you will profit with the proper table selection and hole card selection. If the table becomes wild, sit out for a few hands. With that one less player in the pot, maybe they will settle down or someone may get busted. Then you can return to playing. If the table does not chill out, leave.
Most poker sites let you see the table list info with how many players are at the table, average pot and average players to see flops. Look over those numbers because often you will find a table below your bankroll or your usual buyin paying higher and that is where the bad players are at.
Something as simple as watching a table or two before you sit should be obvious, but to a lot of us it isn’t.
I thought that playing below my skill level was something that I was doing wrong, even though I’ve been successful there.
Nice to get some reassurance that I am doing the right thing
I am doing exactly that( crushing the levels) and building up my BR @ one site. I get to give my poker skills a ” bettor” workout with betting strategys that I haven’t practiced often.
I have cashed in my last 7 out of 10 tourneys played.
It always feels good when poker lessons learned are paying off..TY AJ
It soon will be time to bump up to the next level. That’s where the lessons have been learned but not really tested yet..