The G-Spot: Game Selection
By Tony
Guerrera
Suppose you’re the best shorthanded no-limit hold’em player in the
world for online poker. You sit at
a $500-$1,000 blind shorthanded no-limit hold’em game with five other
world-class shorthanded no-limit hold’em players. Meanwhile, at the same
time, there’s a $100-$200 blind shorthanded no-limit hold’em game
featuring three world-class players and two relatively weak players. If your
goal is to make the most money per hour, which table would you prefer to site
at?
Though the $100-$200 blind game is smaller, it may very well be the case that
your expected win rate at that game will be higher than your expected win rate
in the $500-$1,000 blind game. It only takes one or two relatively weak players
to affect your expected bottom line substantially – especially in a shorthanded
game, where fewer opponents can run interference. And remember that your hourly
win-rate is a function of both stakes and competition.
If table selection is important for world-class players, imagine how important
it is for you!
The Ideal Games
Many authors write about wanting to play in cash games that are loose and passive.
This basically means that people like to stay in hands, and that they typically
do so by calling. Another keyword I’d like to ascribe to these games is
straightforward. The most profitable games for you will be ones where your opponents
employ very little trickery. Against straightforward, passive opponents, you
can 1.) value bet your marginal hands to death 2.) know when your good hands
are beaten and 3.) pick up lots of free cards.
If you’re a tournament player, your goal should be to find tournaments
with overlays, good blind structures, favorable payout structures, and typically
weak fields. Play around at different venues to find the tournaments that are
best for you, and once you find those tournaments, play them religiously.
Discipline is Key
Sometimes you’ll be lucky and stumble upon a really good game. However,
you usually need to go out and find it. If you’re in a casino, walk around
and observe all the games before sitting. If there’s a board, and you
have no choice regarding where you first sit, request a table change if you’re
seated at a tough table. If you’re playing online, table hop until you
find a game with the playing conditions you’re looking for.
And regardless of how you’ve been doing at a table, don’t grow
roots at your table. Games change over time, so if a once easy game has become
tough, change tables. Be disciplined, keep your ego out of things, and you’ll
be rewarded with a rapidly growing bankroll.
About the Author:
Tony Guerrera
is the author of Killer
Poker By The Numbers and co-author of Killer Poker Shorthanded (with John
Vorhaus). |
