The Importance of Table Selection
In the world of poker, mastering table selection can be a game-changer for beginners and seasoned pros. This strategy involves picking games where weaker opponents frequent, a tactic often dubbed as “bum hunting.” These less experienced players tend to overplay their hands, resulting in long-term losses, which can significantly bolster your chances of winning.
Whether you’re diving into high-stakes matches or cutting your teeth at the micro stakes, the goal remains the same: seek out tables where you hold the advantage. As a dedicated player, maximizing your earnings should be your top priority, and targeting weaker opponents is the way to do it.
It’s crucial to understand that poker sites have their own agenda. They favor games where players are evenly matched because it allows them to rake in more fees from each pot. Some poker sites have even introduced features like Zoom poker to minimize table selection and maximize rake.
While the term “bum hunting” might carry a negative connotation, table selection is actually in your best interest as a poker player. Most of your profits will come from playing against less skilled opponents, as the differences between other solid regulars, semi-pros, and pros are minimal, especially with higher rake fees.
The Impact of Table Selection on Your Win Rate
Your win rate in poker reflects how much you’re profiting as a player, typically expressed as big blinds per 100 hands (bb/100). Achieving a positive win rate is already a feat, especially when you consider the challenge of overcoming the rake.
For example, on a $10NL table, the rake usually sits around 8 big blinds per 100 hands (8bb/100), putting you at a starting disadvantage of -8bb/100. To counter this, you need to target players who are significantly weaker than you — players with a negative win rate, often referred to as “fun players.”
In my analysis of Holdem Manager data from the first three months of 2024, I identified several “fun players” with negative win rates ranging from -20bb/100 to -40bb/100.
Consider the difference in your win rate when you play tables with one or even two of these fun players compared to tables filled with equally skilled opponents. It’s a matter of simple mathematics, and the difference will be significant over time.
How to Identify Fun Players
The famous quote from the movie Rounders, “If you can’t spot the sucker in half an hour, you are the sucker,” is timeless and rings true in online poker as well.
In the poker ecosystem, players span a spectrum from the least to the most skilled. To maximize profitability, it’s essential to position yourself against fun players as frequently as possible.
Key indicators of fun players include:
- Nickname and Avatar: Look for unusual or personalized nicknames and avatars, such as pictures of family members, pets, or references to hobbies or interests like football clubs or famous poker players.
- Broken Stacks: Fun players often buy in with random chip amounts, such as 72BB, instead of full amounts.
- High VPIP with Large Gap to PFR: Pay attention to players with a high VPIP (Voluntarily Put Money In Pot) percentage, especially when there’s a significant difference between their VPIP and PFR (Pre-flop Raise) stats, typically seen as a wide gap like 40-10.
- Frequent Limping: Fun players tend to limp into pots instead of raising or folding pre-flop.
- Minimum 3-Betting: They may make small, minimum-sized raises when 3-betting pre-flop.
- Donk Betting: Watch out for players who lead out with bets into the pre-flop raiser on the flop, a behavior known as donk betting.
- Large Open Raise Sizings: Fun players may use unusually large bet sizes when opening the action pre-flop.
- Unconventional Postflop Plays: Look for unconventional or unorthodox post-flop plays, such as non-standard bet sizes or unusual lines.
- Big Pre-flop All-Ins: They may frequently go all-in pre-flop with a wide range of hands.
By recognizing these characteristics, you can spot and target fun players at the tables, improving your profitability.
Strategies for Effective Table Selection
To streamline your table selection process, consider the following tactics:
- Expand Your Options: Sign up on multiple poker sites within your market to increase your chances of finding profitable tables.
- Deposit and Explore: Deposit a few buy-ins on each site and explore the tables to identify the most lucrative ones.
- Continuously Seek Profitable Tables: Keep searching for better tables even after finding a profitable one. Use a dual-screen setup, with one screen for playing and the other for searching for better tables.
- Be Prepared to Move: Once a fun player leaves a table, be ready to sit out and find a new one. Regularly assess the profitability of your current table, especially when you are under the gun (UTG) in the rotation, so you can leave immediately.
- Utilize Tools Wisely: Consider using table scanners and seating scripts to enhance your table selection process. Ensure that you comply with each site’s policies regarding the use of such tools.
By implementing these strategies, you can optimize your table selection process and increase your overall profitability in online poker.
Conclusion
After reading this guide, you should now understand the significant impact of effective table selection on your overall profitability as a poker player. I encourage you to analyze your current table selection process and make improvements based on the tips provided.
Thanks for reading, and let’s reclaim the term “bum hunting” as a strategic and savvy approach to poker!
Sebastiaan Jansen