Players feel that game selection happens to be one of the most important aspects to increase your chances of winning poker. It is also a concept which is highly overlooked by the players. There is a saying coined by one of the professional players which says that you do not need to be the best poker player, all you need to be is better than the rest on the table. Given a choice, you must pick the game which would be beneficial to you.
Try and evaluate the skills of the players around you, since if you are in the game with tight aggressive players, you wouldn’t be able to accumulate a larger pot. On the other hand, a few calling stations on the table would ensure that there is a lucrative pot amount. At any point, if you feel that you would be outmatched by the other players on the table, then you must look around for a different table. Simply put, game selection would prove to be a big factor to decide your winnings or losses.
We have already discussed the types of players in the last few posts and it is imperative for the players to identify their opponents. Therefore the game you choose would depend on the type of players sitting on that table. More often than not, you would come across a mixture of players; however there would be times when you would find a majority of the players with the same gaming type.
Showdown Poker
Such a game happens when there are more players calling in the game. it also happens to be a loose game where a lot of players would be seeing the flop and most of them would end up calling to the river. The term ‘showdown poker’ refers to the fact that you would have to show down the best possible hand in the end. There are no chances of a bluff in this game.
Wild Games
Wild games usually consist of a lot of loose aggressive players. They would want to cap the betting prior to the flop and continue betting even after the flop. Such a kind of game is likely to generate huge fluctuations in the bankroll. You would have to tighten the game, more than the normal games and wait for the premium hands to play big. Such a way, you wouldn’t be playing many hands, but chances of a win on the premium hands are huge. These kinds of games usually involve the younger lot and if you feel uncomfortable with the variations, you can choose another table.
Tight Games
Tight games involve a lot of tight players; therefore you would see smaller pots, since there are very few players involved in each hand. The players here would be extremely picky about their hand and would do a lot of checks looking for the free card, if they happen to be on the draw. Bigger bets can drive them away from the game. If there is a tight passive game, then you can loosen up a bit since you can see the flop at a cheap bet. Bluffing techniques would work in such games.