By table climate, we're referring to the type of game being played. Is it an expensive game? Are there many opponents in the pot against you? Are they tough players or weak players? You need to do more than generalize an entire table, but there will be classifications that are prevalent even if they don't apply to every player. Notwithstanding specific players, a table will have a climate defined by the playing styles of the majority of players. Your personal playing style will need to adapt to best play in a certain table climate. No one size fits all. If the game is expensive because players are betting often, you need to be more sure about the hands that you play. You're being asked to invest more money, and therefore can only proceed with more solid hands. This is an example of adjusting your style based on the climate of the table.
Loose Vs. Tight
The first designation of table type is loose or tight. By either, we're making reference to how far into the game players will go with their hands. At a tight table, players are not as willing to invest money and proceed into the later stages of the game. There will be alot more folding. At a loose table, players are more willing to invest money and proceed into the later stages of the game. There will be more calling. In very general terms, tight play can be associated with either a very disciplined play or a fear of risk. Some players will have a strong, rigid control over what they consider playable. If it's junk, they don't play it. That doesn't mean this type of player wouldn't stay in with trash for a bluff, just that they will fold far more hands than they'll play. That, or they have a fear of risk in what they play and how much they spend. If it's not a monster hand, they will fold for fear that they're beat. In very general terms, loose play can be associated with either a player who likes to gamble or one who just doesn't know any better. Some players aren't there to reap the benefits of a thinking man's game. Rather, they're there for the same reason you might play Let It Ride or Roulette: to gamble. They will purposely play less-than-playable hands in the hope that it pays off unexpectedly. Again, they are gambling. That, or they just don't know any better. Weak players will often play loosely because they don't know a good hand from a bad hand from a hole in the ground. They haven't a strong enough grasp on the game and play loosely out of inexperience.
Why Low-Limit Games are Loose
For the remainder of this discussion, we'll focus on the loose play that you're likely to encounter at a low-limit table. It's not that you won't find the occasional tight low-limit table, but rather that they will be loose more often than not. It's important to understand why this is. As noted, loose play stems mainly from two attributes: the want to gamble and/or a lack of understanding the game's mechanics. Many players interested in playing poker as a gamble will choose the low-limit tables. This way, they'll lose about the same as they would at say, a $5 Blackjack table. Bear in mind that the higher the limit of the game, the better the average player sitting at the table. Whereas one's skill level doesn't affect the other players in other table games like Blackjack, it has a direct effect on your bankroll in the game of Poker, where players are playing against each other. A gambler knows this and will be more inclined to play the lower limits against less-skilled opponents. And, the inevitable, wonderful truth is that the weak poker player will more often be found at the low-limit tables. This player could be weak for many reasons: a new player without any tutelage, an unintelligent player, an unskilled player, maybe even an inebriated player. Unlike the gambler, who may be fully aware of the negative mathematical expectation of his moves, the weak player doesn't know any better. Not everybody at the low-limit table is a gambler or weak player. Far from it. There are plenty of regulars at these tables. Some of them are solid players who simply prefer the lower limits. However, the money that you make over the long run will come from gamblers and weak players. Both of these get killed in the mathematical long run either by making moves with negative mathematical expectation (gambling) or by making moves without sufficient understanding of the game (weak play).
The Loose Table
For a loose table, you can already formulate certain strategy to optimize your results. Remember that in the game of Poker, results don't just come from winning, they come from not losing. You have to know when a situation is unfavourable and when a hand is unplayable.
1) Slowplay less
With a monster hand, you debate over how to get as much money in the pot as possible. Betting out may fold too many players, where a slowplay will keep them in longer for you to make your move later. At a loose table however, you're far less worried. Because of the table's loose nature, you needn't worry as much about players folding. If players insist on staying in the game longer, best to bet into them and win as much money as you can. Why slowplay opponents that won't fold? Bet your monster hands.
2) Bluff less
Where bluffing is an important part of poker, a bluff that doesn't successfully fold everybody is a failed bluff and therefore, a waste of money. At a table where players are far more willing to stay in to the later stages of the game, you won't be able to pull off bluffs as successfully, if at all. One reason to bluff is so that you still get action when you do get a monster hand later on. A player who is notorious for never bluffing will likely get very little action when he has a hand and bets. Both of these lose value at a loose table. If you know you can't successfully bluff a table of loose players out of the pot, bluff far less if at all. And, don't worry about players acknowledging you as somebody who wouldn't bluff. If the table is loose, then you'll get action everytime you have a good hand anyway.
3) Play it like it is
This point is simply summation of the previous two. One of the best pieces of advice to remember about loose tables is: when there's doubt, play your hand legitimately. Slowplays and bluffs are examples of deceptive plays, where you play your hand differently than you 'should'. We've seen that neither deception is as profitable at a loose table, leaving you almost only with legitimate play. In other words, if you don't have a hand, check or fold. If you do have a hand, bet or raise.
4) Your hand is better, but not against everybody
A curious aspect of loose tables is the strength of your hand relative to that of your opponents. As you acquire strong skills in this game, you'll find your loose opponents playing many more hands than you would. Sometimes, you'll even see them winning with these hands, even though in the long run, they're destined to go broke playing this way. What this means is that the strength of your hand is better relative to that of your loose opponents. However, the more opponents in the pot against you, the more chances there are for you to be beat. Up against one or two loose players, you're less concerned. Up against six loose players, even though you stand (based on skill) to have a better hand than each one individually, the combination of them all together against you reduces your chances significantly. So, you're strong against a few loose opponents, but suffer mathematically the more loose opponents there are against you. Against a few loose opponents, your hand should be good but doesn't need to be a monster. Against many loose opponents, your hand will need to be a monster.
5) The impossible balance
All of this said, it's a mistake to generalize all players at a loose table as gambling maniacs. If you are overly tight, it will eventually be noticed. If you never bluff, it will eventually be noticed. Most importantly, if you are easily folded from a pot, it will eventually be noticed. One of the first lessons learned by the low-limit rookie is that you will be bullied if you look easily pushed around. If you haven't played a hand in a long time, consider calling the blinds on something a little beneath your starting requirements. If you can pull off a very inexpensive bluff, you might want to try it. If you feel you are being bullied out of a pot, you might want to call the bet. Remember that these will fail more times than they succeed. But, they possess the value of 'advertising', where your playing style as interpreted by your opponents is based on how you are perceived to play.
Here three of the top online poker rooms where you can both practice your skills and take on opponents from accross the world for real money:
- Royal Vegas Poker
- 7 Sultans Poker
- Virtual City Poker
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