How many watch the table before sitting at it online.

Ok, and i know its a good thing to sit and watch the table for a bit to find out who is tight and who is loose, want to know how many do the same thing????
I even got to put notes on some well watching :smile:
Tho i do know you can't do this in sit&gos, but i still pick up there table image well folding hands...

It's called table selection

...and it's ESSENTIAL. If you're not doing this yet, you should be.

Find the fish and the shortstacks, and sit to their left. Find the nits and sit to their right. If that doesn't work out properly, find another table.

Ok, thanks Chuck.. I did not do it much before, and now see why it should be done.

There are also tools like spadeit which eliminate the tedious part of table selection if you're putting in high volume. They automatically scan all the tables using your PT3/HEM database and tell you who's sitting where, then you can more easily pick spots to sit in.

I never do this - I'm just too impatient to play. I know that's a bad idea. I read a poker strategy book once and the author insisted every player should do this - watch a few circuits of a ring game before joining in.

It's like taking notes on players - I don't do that either. I know, I know - stupid move. But life just seems too short ...

for sure i do...

and if its not a busy night i,ll wait until the seat next to a certain player open,any edge i can get i use

Thanks Chuck, and i found out you have to watch out for some of the shortstacks.... I forgot that some of them play the SSS or 3Ss....

wow

Never truly thought of doing that. I just join a money table and play the game. I never really take notes on ANYONE. It is a good thing to do and maybe I should start. I usually play at the penny tables or .5/.10 tables. Nothing to high, if I played with the dollar tables, I would probably check out how the table is acting before I join. Good tip, maybe i will start doing this

I do this to an extent - when i sit down ill make sure that the table isnt all short stacked and that im not to the right of 2 super deep stacks.

Then ill usually just sit a few orbits and watch, playing super tight like its the first few rounds of a tourney. Not only does this allow me to observe the tendencies of my opponents and pick up some data on them, it builds a tight table image so my first raise is usually good enough to pick up the blinds : ).

I prefer sitting down at a table and playing really tight for a few orbits to get a feel for the game and the players. If you're a reg then you may have some notes or stats on the players which can help. I know watching the table first is generally a good idea and i would practice it, but at lower stakes, tables fill up fast, so i sit play and if i like it stay or move to another seat.

i'm with mrfold, never take notes or table select. if i was playing a higher limit i would, but i just don't feel it's worth the couple minutes of boring effort when i know fish come and go at 25nl every 3 nanoseconds.

I watched a poker training video that was solely devoted to table selection (and seat selection). It was actually quite interesting.

Personally I use a table-finder tool and then will open up approx. 2x as many tables as I plan on playing, I grab a seat or get on wait list, & then decide which ones I believe will be most profitable for me. Seems to work ok for me.
As far as notes go.... I'm a freak for notes. Can't even write enough of them and can't imagine playing anyother way (why?).

It might sound funny but I watch all the ring games before Is it in them.
I have noticed that if I see several players from the same city or town,that there is usually some sort of collusion going on at the table.
I see it all the time at ring games.

That does not sound funny, I watch them and find a loose table, or find one with a high % on the flop..
Though it does not work so good when they are looking for you at the tables, And the ones i am talking about are the ones you put a bad beat on
I only put notes on someone when i got a good read on there hands.