Game Selection

Game selection is one of the most important aspects of making a profit from poker. Yet so many people just sit down in any old game and think they can make a profit. If you are multi-tabling with around 10 tables at a comfortable stake then you dont need to worry so much about who is at your tables. However if you are playing at the higher end of your comfort zone then you need to pay attention to this. Playing heads up games with no game selection a profitable player probably wins 60-65%. That is not high when you consider the rake will be 5% of that. However with game selection that figure will be 80% plus, just something for people to consider.

Betfair have a great feature 'Find Player', basically you can add players then if they are seated at a table you are alerted. So if you are a cash player and add all those you consistently make a profit from then one day see three of them on the same table you are bound to make a decent profit. On a random 1/2$ cash table you will not make half as much on average as one you have specially selected due to known fish seated.

When I was hammering betfair heads up games I could never understand some people who would join my tables. They were good players yet not as good as me so long term they know they will be losing against me. Leaderboards were showing I was racking up points from $50-$750 faster than all bar one player. People who play recreationally I understand wanting to play good players, however people who play poker for a living why play where you have zero value ESPECIALLY when rake is taken into consideration. Some people just wanted to play an occasional game with me and considering I am in robot mode and they are trying their hardest playing just one table the odds are almost evenly balanced. Some people I know would even sit in a game with me to try and improve by learning, however when I felt this was the case I would play differently and just go all in a lot more.

Betfair had a powerplay promotion for the world series where they generously gave $15000 wsop package to all who paid enough in fees. I comfortably made the target however several people struggled to do so. I will not name names but some players who have never specialised in playing heads up poker were popping up on $200-$400 heads up games against players who consistently topped the leaderboards every month. Just because heads up games are quick so you end up paying more rake they thought this would be a good idea. Yet I know of at least two players who lost almost $10000 playing higher stakes heads up chasing the promotion. Add the stress of completing the challenge in time and it simply was not worth it.

Game selection is one of the most underated aspects of poker, you can quite simply pick an easy 5/10nl table where you risk less money than a tough 10/20 table and will make more profit. Less risk and more profit for using some commonsense, yet most people dont put much emphasis on game selection! Playing $750-$1500 hu sit and goes on Betfair I was winning 80-90% of them as I would only play those I knew were really bad in my opinion and on $50-$100 playing 1000's a month my strike rate was only around 60%.

So before you play think, is there an easier game available.