Table selection is everything. Pick the right table and you will reap the rewards! Pick the wrong one and you will be eaten alive by the sharks!

I’m here to help you pick the right table. With so many tables to choose from, some tables are definitely better than others. The question is, do you know which are the best tables?

You’ve probably seen filtered tabs when selecting poker tables. There is a reason why poker clients have these filters: these filters are for you to use. Among the many filters include hands per hour, players seeing the flop, average pot. There may be other filters and some reworded different than others across poker rooms, but these are standard ones that are important to your play.

Before even choosing a table, I hope you are properly rolled for the limits you are playing. For more information on bankroll requirements, see our article on Bankroll Management . If you are just taking shots, then continue reading on.

The first filter you want to see is the amount of players seeing the flop. If the number is 50% and higher, you so want to be there. That means that half or more of the players are seeing the flop with trash hands. If the number is lower, like 20% or below, people are tight and look for some pros and amateurs to be playing at that table.

The next filter you want to look for is hands per hour. If the number is significantly high, then you know that a lot of hands are being played; in other words, the game is juicy! This should be consistent with your findings in the percentage of players seeing the flop.  If the number is low, then not many hands are being played which means that the table is tight and not a lot of hands are being played. Moreover, time is being taken when playing hands in order to outplay and outmaneuver opponents.

The final filter you want to look at it is average pot. Obviously, the higher the number, the better. The amount should be relative to the previous two filters: players seeing the flop and hands per hour. If the amount is on par, you have found the right table! 

If for any reason you are finding the table difficult and are not winning, get up and leave. There’s no reason for you to stay at a certain table, as you can always bounce to other tables. If the table is just right for you, then keep winning!

Now that you have the knowledge to pick the right tables, you are well on your way to maximizing your return on investments.

See you at the tables!

 By M. Ronquillo