Table Selection How-To

[gaboo]

Hello all,

I'm just getting back into poker after a year long break, and the scope of the tools and quality of the games has changed drastically. Table selection has become (I believe) both easier to analyze and more important.

How do you players (I currently play small stakes online) exercise table selection? I'll start off with a few leading questions, but I understand that I may not be asking the right ones, so please feel free to chime in with anything:

Criteria Oriented:
1. What V$IP% do you look for in a table?
2. What Preflop-raise% do you look for in a table?
3. What other stats/tell-tale signs do you look for in a table? Avg pot size? Specific fish?

Process Oriented:
1. How do you go about finding a table that matches your criteria? Do you use playerview? Spectate games? Join games and then evaluate as you play? Follow specific fish?

2. How do you quickly do the above? It's important to be able to quickly evaluate the quality of a table, especially for multi-tablers at small stakes, where the quality of the game can change quickly.

3. What are some signs you look for when evaluating if the game you're in is no longer good?

Thanks for your time!

gaboo

[sin808]

Criteria:
1. 35%+, but I'll settle for 30 if I can't find anything better.
2. doesn't matter, depends on my attention span and mood...Less than 6 and I get to play more hands, more than 8 I get to play less (usually anyway).
3. Cold-calling, # of players in each pot at each street, pot size (not a great indicator though, imo).

Process:
1. Open up 4 tables and watch them, look at the stats as they accumulate, pick one or two and when my turn comes up determine if the seat position works for me or not. Rinse and repeat. OR wait-list: first available with x players. Depends on the limit I'm playing.
2. It's not too quick, but I usually find 3 tables worth sitting at in about 10-15 minutes. I'll jump on the first available at a lower limit to fill the time. I only play 2-3 tables at a time, so it's no problem to keep looking for a better table alot of the time. So as one goes bad you have another queued up.
3. When the reasons why I sat down are gone (ie players left). No more cold calling. Get's folded around or close to it. See more players where I have pre-existing stats/notes at the table (the good players accumulate more quickly than the bad).

[cat923]

Buy Poker Tracker and learn how to use Game Time Plus. Most of your problems will be solved.

cat923