Finding a Good Cash Game Table

One of the most popular questions we get on the Forum is How to find a good cash game table. Of course there is never a one size fits all answer to this questions, but I’m going to give you a few simple guidelines you can follow. Depending on the type of game you are comfortable playing; you may want to make a few adjustments to these tips.

Table Selection Tips

When you start a poker session, you should always look through all the tables at the limit of your choice. I usually look first at full tables.

I look for:

• High VPIP (% of the time the players see flops)
• High pot size- this usually indicates that the table has “Action players
• Higher number of hands per hour, and 2 or less short-stackers.

The hands/hr is important but sometimes mis-leading because if it is super high, that indicates at table that has only just filled up, so the %/players to the flop and hands/hr can be inflated.

Another quick way to find a good table is to look at tables that have a few players on the waiting list. Usually this will be a table with a few fish that players want to take money from

After you site down at a table, you need to keep a close eye on how the table is going. The seat you just took may have been a “live” player and the table action may be dead now. You don’t want to sit with a table full of other good players and swap blind all day and hope to cooler someone. The bottom line is, don’t get lazy once you take your seat. Keep evaluating how your table is and always look for better ones.

The best way to re-evaluate is just to keep an eye on the table vpip, and if it dips well below 30 (100NL 6max) or 25 (Full ring) Look around for a better table to jump on.

Another great tip I learned is to make sure you don’t stay in a seat where an aggressive player has position on you or it will be a long night. That is the great thing about Cash Games, you always have choices and you’re not stuck in one spot.

Good table selection will make the difference in your overall results. Remember that it is the little things in poker that make you money. Playing online poker has many advantages over “live” poker and you should be using these advantages to increase your bankroll.