MATTHEW ROBINSON

Weblog: Giving insight into online poker

Check the situation before you dive in

WHEN I was a toddler, I remember being so excited by a trip to the swimming baths that I ran from my parents and jumped straight in . . .  at the deep end.

It wasn't the smartest of moves seeing as I had little swimming experience and didn't know what was lurking down below.

Danger was averted when my dad hauled me out and promptly placed me in the shallow end. The world of online poker can be just as tricky. There is plenty of choice of "deep ends" for experts and also plenty of "shallow ends" for novices.

What I am talking about is the importance of picking the right
table for your level of skill.

This week's tip is to analyse the information available to you
before joining an online table. The screens will show the stakes
involved but they will also displaywhat the average pot amount is and the average number of players who see the
flop. What you can be sure of is that if there is a low pot
average, then fewer people are seeing the flop which in turn
means that bluffing is possible.

Ideally, you want to see a good average for the number of
players that go on to see a flop.

This will ensure there is enough action and give you a better chance of being paid off when you hit a big hand. For example, in a six-handed cash game you want two players who see the flop a lot and for the other players to be really tight. This gives you two ways of winning - one is when you have a genuine hand and the loose players might pay you off. The other is the benefit of having tight players who are liable to fold good hands to your well timed bluffs.

These features should always be looked at before sitting down
as you could see yourself diving not only in the deep end but in
the wrong pool all together.