While ago we published list of the softest internet poker rooms. We have received some good feedback on that list and several players have already reported back to us that we were correct with the suggestions and that there are indeed some soft games at those poker rooms. However, we have also received some questions about how to actually find the softest online poker tables as even those sites have at any given time hundreds of tables running.
So with that in mind we asked our resident poker pro PokerSpewer to write a small guide on how to find the softest tables.
Methods to find the softest online poker tables:
First of all, it is nice to be back at writing some poker content for play casino. I intend to keep writing some more strategy articles in the future as well so if you enjoy my stuff make sure to check back frequently for new articles and guides.
From below you can find 6 different methods that I have used with good success when searching for the softest online poker tables and weakest players. The tips are pretty self-explanatory however I felt like it was best to add small description after each tip. So let’s get started!
Keep list of the fishes and uses the search function to find them:
At pretty much every online poker site there are thousands of players playing at the level you play and thus it would be completely impossible to keep mental notes of all your opponents and remember those who are fishes (though you tend to remember the absolute worst players, unfortunately your skilled opponents remember those as well). So I suggest that every time you come across a bad player you write his/her nickname down. After a while you should have a longish list of bad players playing at each poker site you play at. So now if you can’t otherwise find soft games simply search every single one of those players name with the player search function provided by the online poker room in question. Usually you can find at least one of them in the action and when you find simply sit down with them and try to take their moneys.
Search games with unusually high average pot size:
Almost all the internet poker sites show the average pot size of each game in their lobby. Usually in 6 max no limit texas holdem games the average pot size is from 5 to 15 big blinds (so in $1/$2 that would $10 to $30). When you spot a game in which the average pot size is considerably more than that (lets say more than 25 big blinds) you should immediately open the table and see what is going on. Quite often you can find one or more players in major tilt from that table. And obviously as a poker player who is looking to make money you should be happy to play against players who are on tilt, even though it might mean some nasty swings and bad beats in the short run.
One thing to keep in mind about the pot sizes is that on some sites they reflect only the 3 or 5 last hands meaning that if there was one major pot the average pot size number is skewed. So for that reason you should also observe the game for a moment before deciding for sure that there is certainly someone on tilt.
Search games with unusually high players per flop number:
The second number provided by the online poker rooms that is extremely helpful with find the bad players is the players per flop %. This number simply means how many players on average see the flop in that table. In most of the small stakes – mid stakes 6 max NL texas holdem games the number is between 20% and 35%. Even though the 35% suggest that there are might be some unusually loose action in that table, but ideally you would like to find tables with at least 40% players per flop number. In those games you are pretty much guaranteed to get to play against at least one fish.
However, couple notes about the number: Obviously the fewer players the game has the higher the number tends to be (simply because the fewer players the game has the looser the optimal preflop strategy is). So what that means is that 10 player game with 40% players per flop is a goldmine, but 3 players game with the same 40% might actually only have 3 extremely good players.
Second thing about the number is that at some poker sites that number is either refreshed too slowly, so if a 3 player game just became 6 player game it might still be showing the players per flop number from the 3 player game. Also on some poker sites the number only reflects the last couple hands, in that case you might either miss some of the best games because the number looks lower than it actually is or you might think a bad game is a good game because the number looks attractive due to last couple hands which had unusually many players on the flop.
Check out games with unusually long waiting lists:
You are obviously not the only player at the poker room searching for bad players (or if you are never tell anyone which poker site you are playing at!). And when people find bad players they either instantly join the table or join the waiting list in hopes of getting seat in the table before the bad player quits. Due to this you can sometimes find tables with ridiculously long waiting lists. Now you should probably add your name to the waiting list, but what is more beneficial is that you open the table, figure out who is the fish and use the player search function to find out if he/she is in any other games. If she/he is in any other tables and the other fish-hunters missed those tables you might be able to get a seat straight away in those tables or you could be able to join much shorter waiting list. Also if you see this bad player leaving any of the tables he/she was playing in you should be using the search function to find out if she/he sits down in any new games in which you might be able to get a seat in.
Wait in tables yourself and only play against supposed bad players:
This is one of my favourite methods for finding the bad players. The best thing about it is that it is extremely easy: you simply sit down in a table yourself and wait for people to sit down. The trick here is to refuse action against anyone except the players who you either know to be bad or that you can assume to be bad. This method is also known as bumhunting some poker players look down at it, however at least at the moment it is in line with rules of the major poker rooms so you are not doing anything against the rules by doing it.
Categorize players based on their home country:
This method is risky for two reasons: first of all players might have entered false country as their home country and secondly not all poker players from countries are equally bad. Despite of the drawbacks of this method I’m usually happy to see players from countries such as Greece, Italy and Spain. Even though not nearly all the players from those countries are fishes there are certainly much more fishes per pros in those countries than in Sweden for an example.
Play well and don’t spew.
