To make money playing online poker, there are several factors an Amateur Poker player must consider.  Level of skill, of course, is a very important aspect of a winning online poker strategy, and probably the one most focused upon, but other issues can significantly contribute to your success at the tables.  Studying and mastering the theory and principles of proper and correct winning online or internet poker Strategy is essential, of course, but between now and your next online poker tournament, barring some type of epiphany, your skill level and performance will likely approximate your skill and result in the previous tourney.  Because learning to play poker well is a step by step process, improvement in your game may be gradual and continual, as it is for most amateur poker players.  That fact can be frustrating and discouraging for the leagues of amateur poker players who strive to make a breakthrough, catapulting them to the top tier of tournaments where the most lucrative prizes await.  Advancing to that plane of competition will come only through thorough study, thoughtful play, careful review, and countless hands and hours of experience, but, there is one skill that every amateur poker player can learn quickly, and, when applied properly to the amateur poker system, will start yielding visible gains in your bankroll and account balance as you make money playing online poker.  Table selection is such a crucial skill for those amateur poker enthusiasts who seriously want to make money playing online poker, and it must become a cornerstone of such a player's winning online poker strategy.  Table selection is a key element of a poker system aimed to make money playing online poker, and, if used wisely, you will begin to show a profit gain your very next gaming session, and to ensure that you are getting the most out of your investments at the tables, your friendly Online Poker Tutor has compiled a poker system checklist to help you decide which tables to play to maximize your leverage and earning potential.

1) As mentioned in previous articles, protect your bankroll by choosing games that are affordable.  The stakes/Buy-In must be only a minuscule fraction of your funds, and you must only play with money you can afford to risk, though, if you are playing according to your winning online poker strategy, you should be able to make money playing online poker rather than lose it.  Even so, you should be playing at a monetary value that allows your bankroll to absorb natural fluctuations.  This is a key point to consider in your poker system.

2) If at all possible, target tables where you know that some of the others playing there are below your skill level.  Taking detailed noted on opponents should be a key point in your poker system, and help you categorize them, and using the "friends list" feature many sites have will help you find the weaker players with whom you have competed before.  If you have not been taking notes, now is the time to start.  The best way to identify players on whom you have an edge is to recognize those players whose actions have become predictable to you, and also those who you observe are making poor decisions regarding mathematical expectation.

3) When possible, sit to the left of the bigger stacks, and to the right of the shorter stacks.  There are several reasons for this, but suffice it to say that you would prefer to have position on rivals who have a Chip advantage on you.  You get to see what they do before you must act, and this information can certainly steer you toward a particular course of Action.  Having the short stacks to your left means that you have little fear of monster raises that could chase you out, and, with the deep stacks to your right, you can see how much is in the Pot and make a more accurate calculation of Expected Value and Pot Odds and effective odds.  One additional point here, though, is that, if the players with large sums of chips are to your right, they will more often voluntarily put money in a pot you are winning, thus more profit stands to be gained for the player whose online or Internet Poker Strategy allows him to make money playing online poker.  More on this another time, but remember to sit with the big money on your right, smaller stacks on your left if at all possible.  Utilizing this knowledge is a solid strategy component of any winning amateur poker system.

4) You would also prefer to be seated with tight players to your left, and loose players to your right, mostly for the same reasons listed above.  Obviously, tight players are less likely to enter contested pots and Call raises, since they typically wait for premium cards.  Armed with this knowledge, you have somewhat neutralized position.  Very often amateur players overlook this factor, but it makes a considerable difference in your ROI, and it should be something to which you are paying attention and exploiting in your internet poker strategy system.  There is more to making money playing poker than just playing well.  Utilizing a Poker System that considers many facets of the game are very important for the serious amateur poker player. 

5) Lastly, if, after joining a game, you realize that you are at a disadvantage at this table, do not be stubborn, just leave.  This may be obvious to some, but to others it is one of the hardest things to do.  In a cash game, you can just cash  out and go.  If it is a tournament, of course, you will not have this option, but it is still wise to recognize the better players and avoid them in marginal situations.  And, of course, make a note to remind yourself to avoid them in the future.  Even if when you sat down the make-up of the table was favourable, but since then the situation has changed, such as a tougher player joining or the chip stacks fluctuated, putting you out of position against the bigger stacks, it is still sapient to leave.  Understanding where your edge comes from is one of the most important skills in the game.  Putting yourself in the best scenario to make money playing online poker is your main goal, not to prove you are the smartest, toughest player at the table. 

6) If, for some reason, these lessons in this poker system are not producing the desired results, or you cannot locate a table that meets these criteria, another tip to try is to take a seat at an empty sixmax or shorthanded table.  Since no stats are available, the type of amateur players who are likely to join are usually the ones you want to play against; the bad ones.  Better players have a system to get a feel for a table by checking the stats (average pot, players per Flop, etcetera), while poor players ordinarily do not bother.  They want to play, and they find a table.  It is that simple to them.  With fewer people seated, most good players will overlook this table and move on.  Meanwhile, you can beat up on the truly inept donks and fish, collecting their money before your table even shows up on the sharks' radar.  When they do arrive, just leave.  By then you have already managed to achieve your goal: to make money playing online poker.  This is not a foolproof recommendation or system, but weaker players tend to gravitate to empty tables more than strong, tough opponents do.  Give it a shot and see how it goes.

If you are having difficulty finding enough weak competition, try moving down in stakes or even playing on another site.  I highly recommend Full Tilt , SportsBook, or Ultimate Bet, as they seem to have the highest concentration of dead money on the internet.  I hope that this article has helped you recognize that a solid online or internet poker strategy is only one aspect of a profitable poker system.  To make money playing online poker requires a business-minded approach to your endeavour, and I hope that this, and all of the poker lessons provided on our site, help you assess how best to exploit your advantages on your opponents.

Thank you for reading OnlinePokerZine.com, your free poker strategy guide and amateur poker lessons and tutorials magazine and the home of your personal online poker tutor!!!  Our winning online poker strategy can help you make money playing online poker and take your game and poker system to the next level, so Check back soon for future poker lessons!!!

L337 NUB, your personal online poker tutor!!!