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Finding a Poker Game - Selection Tips

If you have been around the block (in the poker sense!), you will know that finding the right game can be a profitable exercise so you should take time in selcting the right poker game. In short there are hundreds of millions of poker games off line and online, some with good player and some with really poor players. It doesn’t take a genius to work out that playing with players who have poor decision making skills will be profitable.

Choose a Game that you know and enjoy

Does this seem a little too obvious to mention? Well I hope the answer is yes, and if so, no damage done. Personally I love many different poker games. I play Texas Hold’em with a passion but more recently I play quite a bit of Omaha and 5 Card Stud which are each great games in their own way. What I have found is that the core contingent of players who play Stud variations and even Omaha, only really play these games, and are of pretty good standard.

It is important to learn a game properly before you start wagering your cash on games. I come across Omaha players who play with me in Hold’em games and freely admit that they are Omaha players, and it shows. They don’t appear to have any Hold’em strategy or any real passion for the game, and this really comes through in their play. They get involved in more pots than they should and are generally not as consistent as many good players out there. For this reason they often loose money. Don’t get me wrong, in Omaha, they would probably have my scalp, as it is their preferred game and it is their passion (and it isn’t really mine).

Playing poker should be profitable and I firmly believe that you should always play to win. For this reason I think it will only add benefit to play for money, the game you are strongest at as you will be a better player amongst the opposition (which means more money for you).

Make sure you know the rules of the game and have a strategy, as simple as it might be. If you want to learn other games, don’t lose money ‘taking lessons‘ and losing money to other players. There are practice tables, you should use them. If you have no money management skills, well a fool and his money are easily parted.

Features to help you search out the best games

If you are looking for a game only, the interfaces on any of the poker rooms we advertise are easy to use. In the lobby you will find games categorized by ‘Game Type’ and also ‘stakes’ (betting limits). There are some nice features online that help you find the nice juicy games. Here are some of the features which will serve you well:

View Flop Percentages – this is displayed as a percentage and shows the frequency that players see a flop in a poker hand. The higher the percentage, the looser the action (generally). Unfortunately many online poker rooms protect their games and don’t have this feature available. A nice one to look out for.

Hands Played Per Hour - This is another good feature to indicate how quick the action is on the table. Stick to a high number of hands played per hour where the view flop percentages are high.

Average Pot Size - This is another good feature which gives you an indication as to how loose the action on the table is. Try now to use this on it’s own as it can be misleading however it is useful when looking at the hands played per hour and the view flop percentages in combination.

So take your time to select the right game and remember if you sit down at a table and you do not feel comfortable, get up and leave. Particularly online there is no shame – people leave tables for different reasons. Take a few minutes to watch a few hands being played before you jump straight in. this way you will have the chance to get a little information about how certain players at the table play, which can only be of benefit.

Player notes - you should make use of this feature online as you can keep notes on the good players and the bad players. My marking the players to watch out for this can give you a heads up before you take a seat at a table.

Find a player function - this is also a usefull tool as it allows you to find the weak players that you have played against. Of course this will mean that you have to keep a note of the bad players as these players will represent your biggest chance of winning.