POKER HOLDEM - Choosing Opponent Players

Your first decision is to choose a table size. The strategy at a table of ten players is completely different from a heads-up table. Select a type and size of table and stick to it until you feel you have learned that style of play.

As a rule, it is more difficult to play no-limit than to play limit poker and it also gets more difficult the fewer players there are.

Using statistics

Use the statistics in the Lobby to pick the right table. The most important figure is the flop percentage (% flop). It shows how many of the players, on average, pay to see the flop, which indicates how loose or tight the game is. At a table of ten, 25 % is very tight and 40 % or higher indicates a fairly loose game.

Another figure is Average pot. A big average pot means that more players have contributed to the pot, and that indicates a loose game. Compare the average pot to the level set for that table.

Picking opponents

You have the opportunity to observe a table and the game before taking a seat. Use that opportunity and get a feel for how the game is played and what the players are like. Study carefully and make notes on how people play with the Player Notes feature. First and foremost, you should try to determine whether those players play better or worse than you. Avoid tables where there are many early raises before and immediately after the flop, and tables where it looks as if one or two players are fleecing the rest. Extremely aggressive players can be sharks or fishes and if you consider yourself a beginner or an average player, you would do better to avoid them.

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