Some poker games have ‘no limit,' which means there can be a tremendous risk. Friendlier poker games, on the other hand, can simply result in you just losing the game. Successful bluffing means nobody knows you are bluffing. In this case, your opponents have folded before the last bet. So, from the lobby, make sure you are looking at the ring game tables, and click on the Holdem tab and select the No Limit button just underneath. The tables we are looking for are the 5c/10c tables with 9 players on a table. No Limit Poker Tables, Parkville, Maryland. No Limit Poker Tables specializes in unique one of a kind custom made poker tables. We are the manufacturer so you don't have to pay retail. Pokerface is a Group Video Chat Poker Game that lets you play with your friends and meet new ones. Join Pokerface, see your friends, and chat with them live! Have a real poker night from anywhere in the world! Download Poker Face Now, Invite your friends, and get up to 1,000,000 welcome bonus chips. Featured on CNET.com, Geekdad.com, MSN.com, Yahoo News, and many more! In the big tournaments that you may have seen on TV (such as the World Poker Tour, World Series of Poker, Late Night Poker and Poker Million - The Masters), a different betting structure is used, known as no-limit. In no-limit poker you may bet any amount up to and including the number of chips you have on the table.
Almost as important as selecting the most suitable online poker room, is the selection of the best poker table to play at. Once again the profitability of each table can vary massively, so is it just luck whether or not you pick the most profitable?
Well no, there is a logic behind it and in this lesson we are going to look at how to select the most profitable cash game table from the lobby.
What are we Looking for?
We're looking for the fish, plain and simple. We're looking for any signs of bad players who play too many hands against the odds and chase, hoping to hit cards on the flop, turn or river to make their hand irrespective of how unlikely it is to happen.
Now in a live casino the only way to do this would be to stand and observe the tables and spot the one with the players who are chasing.
Luckily with online poker this guesswork and time consuming observation is taken away from us, as we are given table statistics in the lobby for each and every table, which is extremely helpful seeing as there can be hundreds of tables to choose from.
So How do we Choose the Most Profitable Table?
Poker Face Table Limits
The first step is to ensure that you are looking at the right tables. In the first stage of this course and the Poker Bankroll Challenge you will be playing at the 5cent / 10cent stake level and throughout this course you will be focused on the No Limit Texas Holdem ring (cash) game tables.
So, from the lobby, make sure you are looking at the ring game tables, and click on the Holdem tab and select the No Limit button just underneath. The tables we are looking for are the 5c/10c tables with 9 players on a table. Throughout this course we will be playing on full tables of 9 or 10 player tables so you can ignore the short-handed (6 player) tables for now.
As you look at the tables available you will see a number of statistics here, lets have a quick look at what they mean:
- Players – The number of players sat at the table and the maximum players, eg: '7/9' = 7 players sat down with 2 spare seats.
- Stakes – The size of the small blind and big blind and subsequent bets, eg: '5c/10c' = small blind is 5 cents ($0.05) and the big blind is 10 cents ($0.10).
- Limit – The type of Poker Betting Limit of the game being played, either No Limit, Pot Limit or Limit (Fixed) – eg: 'NL' = No Limit
- Type – Poker room specific which will show icons for the type of game it is, for example there might be an icon for webcam poker tables, usually there is a legend explaining the icons at the bottom of the lobby.
- Average Pot – Self explanatory, keeps track of all the winning pot values and provides an average pot size as a statistic for the table.
- Players / Flop – The average number of players who see the flop, ie: the players that are not folding before the flop and at least call the pre flop bet and see the cards on the flop, eg: '45%' = at a full 9 man table this would indicate that on average 4 players (9 x 45%) see each flop, meaning there is at least 4 big blinds in most pots.
- Hands / Hour – This is an indication of the speed of the table and displays the average number of hands that are dealt in each hour, the higher the number the faster the table is acting and getting through more hands per hour.
- Wait – If a table is full then you can sign up for the waiting list for that table, as a player leaves, that seat is offered to the next person on the waiting list. This statistic shows you how many people are currently on the Waiting List.
Players per Flop: The Fish-o-meter
The statistic we are interested in to start with is the % of players seeing the Flop, or the Players per Flop column. What this number is telling us is the average % of the players at the table who see each flop. This is our Fish-o-meter as the basic rule of thumb here is that the higher this number is, then the more fish (bad players) the table contains.
Why? Because as you have already learnt, fish chase bad cards, they play hands that they should just fold, and hence you get more players trying to play each flop without any kind of proper hand selection.
A table with a lower percentage would indicate better players, so if you saw a table with 5% then this table has a lot of better players, who play hands selectively before the flop and don't play with hands they shouldn't.
As you can see from the screenshot above, there is one table that stands out above the others in the list with a 45% players/flop statistic – this is a really really good table to sit down at, and I would be getting my name on that table's waiting list as soon as possible.
What we are looking for is tables with a Plrs/Flop % higher than 20%. If you can get greater than 30% then that is even better. The higher the better and the more fishy table.
The screenshot above was taken at 888 Poker and as you can see there are lots of tables above 20% and some over 30%, culminating with that fish stinking 45% table. It's a similar case at Bovada, and just goes to backup the results of our tests that there are lots of inexperienced players at these two sites where we can make profit.
Four live poker rooms are now open in Pennsylvania. The rooms where you can find live poker right now are:
- The Meadows
- Mount Airy Casino
- Mohegan Sun Pocono
- Rivers Casino Pittsburgh
These five live poker rooms are currently closed:
- Parx (opening Dec. 15)
- Hollywood Casino
- Presque Isle Downs
- Wind Creek Casino
- Rivers Casino Philadelphia (reopened but closed again on Nov. 20)
In the New Year, players will also have another live poker option in Philadelphia. Live! Casino and Hotel in Philly will open in early 2021, and a 29-table poker room should open with it, pending COVID-19 restrictions.
We will continue to update casino and poker room closings and reopening plans in this second wave at our live updates page here.
Parx poker room reopening in mid-December
Pennsylvania's largest poker room announced a date for its long-awaited return. Parx Poker Room will reopen on Dec. 15 at 9.m. with all of its usual games and be open 24 hours. The news came via Parx's website.
What's up at Wind Creek's poker room?
With 26 tables, Wind Creek Casino has one of the larger poker rooms in PA. A representative from Wind Creek told PlayPennsylvania they had no update on when the poker room would open.
A Wind Creek employee provided an update on some of the happenings at Wind Creek including the poker room. Read the full story here.
PA poker rooms opening one by one
Other poker rooms in Pennsylvania could be reopening any day. According to a spokesperson for the PGCB, casinos submit plans and safety protocols for review. Once they receive final approval from the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB), they can reopen.
It's positive news for poker players who have been waiting a long time to get back to live games. Casinos in Pennsylvania started shutting down to slow the spread of coronavirus in mid-March. They did not begin to welcome back guests until June, and poker rooms were not open due to the social nature of the game.
PlayPennsylvania has contacted poker room reps for Hollywood Casino, Wind Creek Casino, and Presque Isle Downs Casino but they had no concrete plans to share.
We will continue to update you here as more rooms open or set a date for reopening.
Live Poker returned to Rivers Philadelphia but closed again
Rivers Casino Philadelphia reopened its poker room on Oct. 23. It did so with approval for up to 14 tables with a capacity of 100 guests. Under normal circumstances, the room has 28 tables and offers a variety of poker games but now the action returned with primarily No Limit Texas Hold'em cash games.
According to a recent press release, in addition to the existing casino-wide safety measures, the following precautions are in effect for the poker room (when it is open):
- Masks must be worn at all times
- Poker dealers will wear both a mask and a face shield
- Each poker table in play will have plexiglass dividers, separating players and the dealer
- A maximum of seven players allowed per table
- Frequent and thorough cleaning of all cards, chips and surfaces
- Only sanitized chips bought from the poker room cage will be used in play
- No food, beverage or smoking is permitted in the poker room or anywhere on the Rivers Casino gaming floor
Peter Longi, assistant general manager at Rivers Casino Philadelphia, commented:
'Poker players are excited to be back at the tables, enjoying the game they love. Our reopening was carefully planned with the safety of our team and guests being the primary concern. We're eager to welcome back our poker team.'
To assist with social distancing, players are encouraged to call the poker room at 215-717-3883 to put their name on the waiting list when the room reopens. Guests can also check the Bravo Poker Live online or the website's mobile app for the Rivers Casino poker room up-to-the-minute game status. In addition, players will have a chance to win their share of the $100,000 Bad Beat Jackpot. The minimum qualifying hand is quad 2s.
Poker is a game of limited information. The later you have to act, the more information you get, and therefore you have an advantage over early position. In early position players have to decide whether to call, fold, or raise without having any idea about what cards other players have. Bb meaning in poker.
Rivers had to close its poker room once again along with the rest of the casino until at least Jan. 1, 2021.
Here's a look at a poker table at Rivers Philadelphia:
Players pine for poker
When the PGCB released its casino reopening protocols in late May, part of them stated that poker rooms were not authorized to operate due to players' handling of cards and chips. They also said poker room operations would be re-examined based on changes in the CDC's and PA Department of Health's guidance.
On June 9, Rivers Casino Pittsburgh was the first to welcome back visitors. When asked when poker rooms would return, PGCB Director of Communication Doug Harbach said poker rooms present a different type of challenge since people are sitting close together in a room. He said at the time:
'The casinos want to walk before they run and make sure they are getting the venue open and then move on to opening up other areas once they know the protocols are working well.'
Poker color le gana a escalera en. PokerStars, the state's lone online poker site, has posted healthy numbers in PA, but players are still pining for in-person play.
Harbach gave this update to PlayPennsylvania in late August about poker rooms in Pennsylvania:
'There has been no alteration to the casino reopening protocols released by the Gaming Control Board in May in which poker rooms were not authorized to operate. At the same time, this guideline can be reexamined based on health experts' guidance. Should casinos wish to explore reopening a casino room, it would need to provide plans to do so safely, which would be reviewed by the board on a case-by-case basis.'
Poker is back in New Jersey, too
New Jersey also had a long poker pause. The Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa reopened its poker room, the largest in the state, on Oct. 21. The room is operating with 30 socially distanced tables. It's about a third of the room's 85 tables when operating at full capacity.
The Bellagio in Las Vegas opened its poker room in June. Nevada state guidelines mandated five-handed play in rooms without dividers or plexiglass partitions. However, the Bellagio's request for six-handed poker games with partitions was approved by the Nevada Gaming Control Board.
Other poker rooms in Nevada have also reopened with virus protocols in place.
When will poker rooms in Pennsylvania reopen?
Play Pennsylvania will continue to provide updates here as more casinos announce plans and reopen live poker.
Hollywood Casino live poker update
Currently closed.
Information about Hollywood Casino Poker Room:
- 17 tables
- Monday nights, $200 high hand, every 30 minutes; Wednesdays and Thursdays, $200 high hand, every 30 minutes; Fridays, $500 high hand, every 30 minutes; Sundays, hourly high hand prizes.
- Bad Beat Jackpot
- Weekly Rack Back Bonus
The Meadows live poker update
The Meadows poker room opened on Oct. 23 with daily hours of 11 a.m. – 1 a.m.
Welcome back Poker Players! pic.twitter.com/9X66QuZqXp
— Meadows Casino (@MeadowsCasino) October 23, 2020
Information about The Meadows Poker Room:
- 14 tables
- Live games such as Texas hold'em and Omaha every day
- Progressive bad beat
Mount Airy Casino live poker update
Mount Airy's poker room reopened on Oct. 16 and is open 24 hours.
Information about Mount Airy Casino Poker Room:
- 12 tables
- Games such as Texas hold'em, Omaha and stud
Mohegan Sun Pocono live poker update
Mohegan Sun Pocono's poker room reopened on Oct. 16.
Information about Mohegan Sun Pocono Poker Room:
- Eight tables
- Daily tournaments feature no-limit Texas hold'em and Bounty tournaments
- Offering a Bad Beat Jackpot for BOTH cash and tournament play
- Each day, $25 added to the Royal Flush Jackpot for each of the four suites
Parx live poker update
Parx sent out an email in mid-November saying they were finalizing plans but hoped to re-open poker 'before the end of December.'
Information about the Parx Casino Poker Room:
- 80 tables — the most in PA
- The room offers a variety of no-limit hold'em games (from $1-$2 up to $10-$25), limit hold'em ($3-6 up to $30-$60), pot-limit Omaha, Omaha eight or better and a variety of mixed and draw games
- Weekly tournaments. Major tournament: Parx Big Stax
Presque Isle Downs live poker update
The poker room is currently closed.
Information about Presque Isle Downs Poker Room:
- Seven tables
- Games like hold'em and Omaha. Also offering multitable and single-table tournaments (sit and go's)
Rivers Casino Philadelphia live poker update
Rivers Philadelphia reopened poker on Oct. 23. But it is closed once again as of Nov. 20 along with the casino to comply with city orders. It could reopen as soon as Jan. 1.
Cards are in the air! Welcome back players! $200 high hands are on every hour 24/7 all of October! Call 215-717-3883 to reserve your seat. pic.twitter.com/MwcxTABsNM
— Rivers Philadelphia Poker Room (@riverspokerphl) October 23, 2020
Information about Rivers Casino Philadelphia Poker Room:
- 28 tables
- Rivers offers a wide variety of poker games, including, but not limited, to Texas hold'em, Omaha-high, Omaha-hi/lo split eight or better, seven-card stud high, seven-card stud low, seven-card stud hi/lo split and seven-card stud hi/lo split eight or better.
- Poker promotions and tournaments listed on site when available.
Rivers Casino Pittsburgh live poker update
Rivers Casino Pittsburgh opened on Nov. 11. And beginning Nov. 16, Rivers Pittsburgh will operate 24/7, according to their twitter.
We are excited to announce that the Poker Room will be opening on Wednesday, November 11th at 4PM. We can't wait to welcome you back!
Learn more about what you can expect and current hours: https://t.co/heQ3qJyQbV
Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-Gambler pic.twitter.com/FjgJY2cC7v
Poker is back in New Jersey, too
New Jersey also had a long poker pause. The Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa reopened its poker room, the largest in the state, on Oct. 21. The room is operating with 30 socially distanced tables. It's about a third of the room's 85 tables when operating at full capacity.
The Bellagio in Las Vegas opened its poker room in June. Nevada state guidelines mandated five-handed play in rooms without dividers or plexiglass partitions. However, the Bellagio's request for six-handed poker games with partitions was approved by the Nevada Gaming Control Board.
Other poker rooms in Nevada have also reopened with virus protocols in place.
When will poker rooms in Pennsylvania reopen?
Play Pennsylvania will continue to provide updates here as more casinos announce plans and reopen live poker.
Hollywood Casino live poker update
Currently closed.
Information about Hollywood Casino Poker Room:
- 17 tables
- Monday nights, $200 high hand, every 30 minutes; Wednesdays and Thursdays, $200 high hand, every 30 minutes; Fridays, $500 high hand, every 30 minutes; Sundays, hourly high hand prizes.
- Bad Beat Jackpot
- Weekly Rack Back Bonus
The Meadows live poker update
The Meadows poker room opened on Oct. 23 with daily hours of 11 a.m. – 1 a.m.
Welcome back Poker Players! pic.twitter.com/9X66QuZqXp
— Meadows Casino (@MeadowsCasino) October 23, 2020
Information about The Meadows Poker Room:
- 14 tables
- Live games such as Texas hold'em and Omaha every day
- Progressive bad beat
Mount Airy Casino live poker update
Mount Airy's poker room reopened on Oct. 16 and is open 24 hours.
Information about Mount Airy Casino Poker Room:
- 12 tables
- Games such as Texas hold'em, Omaha and stud
Mohegan Sun Pocono live poker update
Mohegan Sun Pocono's poker room reopened on Oct. 16.
Information about Mohegan Sun Pocono Poker Room:
- Eight tables
- Daily tournaments feature no-limit Texas hold'em and Bounty tournaments
- Offering a Bad Beat Jackpot for BOTH cash and tournament play
- Each day, $25 added to the Royal Flush Jackpot for each of the four suites
Parx live poker update
Parx sent out an email in mid-November saying they were finalizing plans but hoped to re-open poker 'before the end of December.'
Information about the Parx Casino Poker Room:
- 80 tables — the most in PA
- The room offers a variety of no-limit hold'em games (from $1-$2 up to $10-$25), limit hold'em ($3-6 up to $30-$60), pot-limit Omaha, Omaha eight or better and a variety of mixed and draw games
- Weekly tournaments. Major tournament: Parx Big Stax
Presque Isle Downs live poker update
The poker room is currently closed.
Information about Presque Isle Downs Poker Room:
- Seven tables
- Games like hold'em and Omaha. Also offering multitable and single-table tournaments (sit and go's)
Rivers Casino Philadelphia live poker update
Rivers Philadelphia reopened poker on Oct. 23. But it is closed once again as of Nov. 20 along with the casino to comply with city orders. It could reopen as soon as Jan. 1.
Cards are in the air! Welcome back players! $200 high hands are on every hour 24/7 all of October! Call 215-717-3883 to reserve your seat. pic.twitter.com/MwcxTABsNM
— Rivers Philadelphia Poker Room (@riverspokerphl) October 23, 2020
Information about Rivers Casino Philadelphia Poker Room:
- 28 tables
- Rivers offers a wide variety of poker games, including, but not limited, to Texas hold'em, Omaha-high, Omaha-hi/lo split eight or better, seven-card stud high, seven-card stud low, seven-card stud hi/lo split and seven-card stud hi/lo split eight or better.
- Poker promotions and tournaments listed on site when available.
Rivers Casino Pittsburgh live poker update
Rivers Casino Pittsburgh opened on Nov. 11. And beginning Nov. 16, Rivers Pittsburgh will operate 24/7, according to their twitter.
We are excited to announce that the Poker Room will be opening on Wednesday, November 11th at 4PM. We can't wait to welcome you back!
Learn more about what you can expect and current hours: https://t.co/heQ3qJyQbV
Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-Gambler pic.twitter.com/FjgJY2cC7v
— Rivers Casino Pittsburgh (@WinBigRivers) November 10, 2020
Information about Rivers Casino Pittsburgh Poker Room:
- 30 tables
- Poker promotions and tournaments listed on site when available
Wind Creek Bethlehem live poker update
Wind Creek poker room remains closed.
Information about Wind Creek Bethlehem Poker Room:
- 26 tables
- Variety of games such as limit and no-limit Texas hold 'em, stud and Omaha. Limits starting at $3 and $6
- Automated shufflers on every poker game
- Bad Beat Jackpot available daily
- Massage service
Lady Luck Nemacolin and Valley Forge do not have poker rooms. PlayPennsylvania exclusively reported that Harrah's Philadelphia closed its WSOP-branded room in August.
More online poker operators coming to PA
PokerStars arrived in Pennsylvania in November 2019 and has been the state's only operator for 11 months. Partypoker was rumored to be coming in the early fall, but like most party plans in 2020, it hasn't happened.
Last week, the PGCB approved Caesars‘ online poker partner 888 Holdings for an interactive gaming manufacturer license. 888 Poker was the No. 1 poker website in the country last year. It has a self-branded poker platform, and its software powers World Series of Poker (WSOP) online and mobile sites.
It seems only a matter of time before both partypoker and WSOP.com make their way to PA.
Health and safety at PA casinos
Poker Face Table Limit Tables
Here are a few things you should know in case you have not been to a casino since they reopened. Per the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board, all casinos in the state must follow the COVID-19 Casino Reopening Protocols, which detail the minimum safety and health-related requirements that are mandatory before reopening.
Casinos may also choose to have additional measures, such as temperature checks at the entrance.
Key points to remember are:
- Casinos can reopen at 50% capacity. (Rivers Casino Philadelphia is open at 25%.)
- Employees and guests must wear masks.
- There must be markings on the floor to promote social distancing.
- Enhanced cleaning is required throughout the facility.
Poker Face Table Limit Table
In addition, there is a current pause on smoking at casinos, no drink service on the gaming floor and no sitting at the bar.
Be sure to check back often as we continue to post updates on PA poker room reopenings here.
Lead image of Meadows poker room via AP Photo/Keith Srakocic.
