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Picking a table

Which table you sit at decides a large part of what you win. The lobby tells you a lot before you take a seat.

What the lobby shows

• Average pot. A high average pot for the stake means loose play and big pots. At WePlay one busy evening, the $1/$2 bomb pot table averaged about $85 and the six-handed $0.10/$0.20 table about $7.59.
• Hands an hour (H/Hr). More hands an hour means more decisions and more rake paid. Fast tables suit players who can stay sharp.
• Seats taken. A full table has a waiting list on some sites; a table with one empty seat you can take at once. At Basepoker each table type shows how many are playing.

At the table

• Watch a few hands before you buy in if the room lets you.
• The best seat is to the left of the loosest players, so you act after them.
• A table that was soft an hour ago may not be now. Leave when the players you wanted have gone.
• Avoid tables where every stack is a regular with a big one. Look for tables where the stacks vary.

When to play

Look at the lobby at different hours and note when your stake is busiest. On Basepoker one busy European evening, the Omaha tables held about 90 players and Hold'em about 60.

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