An important poker lesson to learn is how to choose your poker table

Here’s a wise poker lesson. Online poker cash tables are populated with a mix of players. You may have to choose between ten or more poker tables at the level you want to play.

Church of Texas Holdem Psalm #6:
"Should the other man’s grass turn out to be greener, thy may climb his fence."

In other words, don’t feel ‘married’ to your poker table if it turns out to be the wrong kind of game for you.

Why I said this poker lesson is one you can only learn from experience is: you need to know "who" the players at your poker table are. Or rather, you want at least a basic understanding of their styles of play.

Let’s illustrate this with an example. You sit at two five-seat cash poker tables. One of those tables suits you perfectly. You are able to play the right amount of hands; there’s a fine balance, two solid but not shark-aggressive players, one loose chaser and one clueless wonder.

On the other poker table, you’re learning one of the hardest poker lessons. Three solid and tricky players constantly pushing their small edges, making it expensive to see through hands you want to play.

Your small pairs are costing you plenty to see the flop and you’re missing your sets. Your flush draws get prohibitive on the turn. Time to look for another seat elsewhere.

You can now appreciate the difference – and it’s a huge one – between a good poker table and a bad one. In the bad old days before Internet poker, professional players talked about watching a poker table before you sat down, so you could get an idea of how the players are behaving.

But Internet poker players are usually not so patient. I don’t advise that you spend ages watching a table. The turnover is just too fast at most poker tables. There is a poker lesson I would like to impart though: don’t be afraid of following a dream player around the site.

Most sites offer a ‘find player’ applet. When you come across a star player, who can’t resist leaving money scattered before him like rose petals before a bride, make friends with him, hound him, whatever. Of course you should never insult players like this. Be friendly and add them to your list of ‘stars’.

That said, the balance of power at a great poker table can adjust very fast. Don’t leave your poker table to follow a star if the mix is still just right for your style of play. You might be chasing the loose money and run into trouble elsewhere, while the original table would have been an easy killing for you in a long, slow grind. 

Most of all, relax. Internet poker is online 24/7. Just don’t forget to check back into the Church of Texas Holdem at least once a week...

May I suggest you sign up to PokerPrayer, the Church of Texas Holdem eZine? This will keep you informed of new installments in this series, and allow us to offer you loads of free benefits.

Here endeth the lesson.