Venturing into online poker for the first time can be intimidating. Even though you don’t need to leave the house, take a shower, brush your teeth, or wear a complete ensemble, it can still be a blur of numbers, colors, and sound. Not unlike a real casino, I suppose. But after the initial step of actually depositing money on a poker site, we tend to forget that the next part is often the most daunting: which table do we choose?
Obviously, if you are anything but a complete online poker novice, this article is not for you. But there may be many of you out there who aren’t sure what to do when you see some tables with nine players and others with six. You have the game type chosen, you know the stakes you want, but does it matter how many people are sitting down? It sure does.
A few years ago, most new players gravitated towards the nine-handed, or full ring, cash game tables because those were the ones most commonly seen on television on shows such as the World Series of Poker. But more and more programming today features short-handed tables, so I’m not so sure that is the case anymore. But since I have to choose a starting point, let’s begin with a look at full ring tables.
I recommend the full ring tables to newbies. Because there are more players, play is naturally slower than at short-handed tables, giving you online greenhorns a chance to relax and play at a comfortable pace. Newer players also tend to play tight, another good reason to start at the full ring tables. Because more cards are dealt, there is a better chance that someone has a premium starting hand than there is at the short-handed tables and thus most players tighten up. Play at full ring tables is usually relatively straightforward; most major decisions are made pre-flop. Premium hole cards? Play. Miss the flop? Fold. Of course, I am over simplifying, but it writing “it depends” 400 times wouldn’t make for a good article.
Because of the slower pace of play, full ring tables also tend to be good for multi-tablers since there is actually an opportunity to breathe in between hands.
As you might expect, short-handed tables are essentially the opposite. Fewer players means more hands per hour. It also means the blinds come around more frequently, requiring that players loosen up their starting hand requirements. Those who play too tight will get eaten up by the blinds and can’t possibly be profitable in the long-run. And because a wider range of hands will be played, post-flop decisions become more important. Short-handed games are not for the faint of heart. Those who play at these tables must be willing to accept higher fluctuations in their bankroll, a natural byproduct of the greater volume and array of hands.
The most experienced players typically like short-handed tables for the reasons I outlined above: more action and more post-flop play. For many, full-ring is just a chore. It can be boring just waiting for Aces, Kings, or Queens. A lot of people are perfectly content playing full ring, however, especially when multi-tabling. For those who grind thousands upon thousands of hands a month, all it takes is winning one big bet or so every 100 hands, along with a solid rakeback deal, to make a decent profit.
I am more of a full ring guy myself. Yeah, yeah, call me a nit, but hey, I guess maybe I am a bit of one. I definitely like to play tight – having to loosen up in a short-handed game isn’t really my style. It takes me out of my comfort zone. That’s not to say that I never mix it up and play five or six-handed – I do – but it’s just not my thing.
What’s a little odd, though, is that I enjoy short-handed turbo sit-and-gos. I’m not sure exactly why. It may be because at the low stakes I play, people tend to play like idiots, especially when they think to themselves, “Oh, it’s short-handed, so I need to loosen up!” Inevitably, they loosen up too much, make poor decisions, and actually allow me to sit back, play somewhat tight, and take advantage of their mistakes. Most low-stakes players also don’t understand the importance of grabbing blinds as the levels increase, so when we get down to three- or four-handed, many players are ripe for the picking. That’s not to say I win all the time. Of course not. But six-handed sit-and-gos work for me, while the same can’t be said for cash games.
In the end, there is no “best” size table. Pick whatever suits your style and comfort level. Just remember that there are differences between full ring and short-handed, so you will need to adjust your game accordingly.
