Finding the Fish at the Online Poker Tables

Everyone has been browsing through an online poker room lobby and seen a few tables with a long waiting list despite the availability on other tables. This is due to a noticed trend at these tables. The trend is the action and a few players at this table are way too loose with their chips. Players can look at the percentage of players to the flop and the pot sizes to help with proper table selection. Seat selection is an important step that follows finding the right table. Knowing how to find a table with decent action and a few fish (donkeys) sitting at the table is imperative to become a consistently profitable poker player.

Players to the Flop

If the table carries a large percentage of players to the flop it clearly indicates there is a few loose players at the table. A large percentage would generally be between 30% and 40% for a full ring game. Solid players don't want the entire table to be loose players, which creates a donk fest; they want a nice mix. The loose players will be calling stations and the tight players will be more predictable allowing the creation of a nice profit rotation. The profit rotation is typically the tight players being patient, avoiding each other and taking turns at sucking chips out of the loose half.

Pot Size

Pot size works hand in hand with the players to the flop. If the percentage of players to the flop is high, the pot size indicates how aggressive they are. This also completes the analysis of the action at the table. You know how many players are on average in the hand and how much they are typically betting. A decent average pot size would be 6 to 7 times the big blind or higher. Most poker rooms provide table stats and they usually include a third stat, hands per hour. This can be very helpful in multi-tabling because as you see more hands per hour, your profit per hour dramatically improves. Some players also use additional software to provide advanced tables stats and track play.

Seat Selection

Once you have observed the table stats, select your table and open it up. Take a minute to watch the table. At this point you know the table has some fish and now you need to find out who they are. Once you have put together a pretty good analysis of who the tight players are versus the loose players, select your seat. You have limited options as there may only be one or two seats available but you want to make sure that seat is even worth it. You want loose players to your left and tight players to right. It's the opposite of the saying, "Righty Tighty, Lefty Loosey." The loose players are to your right so you can raise or re-raise them and have position on them the majority of the time. The players to your left being tight are more predictable and will respect your play.