Notes About Games

With the easy access to online poker, anyone can sit down in front if their computer and play for anywhere anytime. There is virtually always a game going somewhere at some online poker site. The trick is to find and play in only the best games. This may mean doing some searching instead of just sitting in the first seat that opens up.

The United States Constitution says that all men are created equal. I don’t know if that is true, but I can tell that the same is definitely NOT true of all poker games. There are good games and there are bad games, and playing only in the very good ones can have a huge impact on your bottom line. So how do we find these hidden gold mines?

If you use a tracking program to track your online play, then table selection should be fairly easy for you. You simply find games with a lot of people seeing the flop, very few preflop raises, and general weak and passive play. These are the games that you can dominate with tight aggressive play. If you play at non peak hours or play very high limits, this might not be an option for you. There may not be any such games going where you’re ready to sit and play. This is a situation where your buddy list and the notes that you keep on other players is your best guide.

If you do find yourself in a situation where there isn’t a table just screaming at you to sit down and walk away with the money, its time to seek out specific players. Its often right to sit down with seven very good players and one horrible player. If you can find such a player it may be profitable to isolate that player every chance you get until they go bust and leave. That’s probably your que to leave as well. Be sure that you know exactly what kind of “bad player” your dealing with though. Are they showdown prone and will call you down with any flimsy hand. If so you can make a living by value betting bottom pair all day long. If you have a weak tight player who is easily run over raising all day long may be the best path. If you keep good notes while you play you should always have a good idea of who your dealing with and how to exploit their weaknesses.

If you are not practicing any type of table selection, do not have a buddy/fishy list, and are not keeping notes on your opponents, you will probably find that your win rate will significantly improve once you start implementing these simple yet effective techniques.

The author is a successful limit cash game player. He plays poker and receives Rakeback at Minted Poker and Rakeback at Carbon Poker.