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A quality poker table can be the difference between a decent poker night and an outstanding one. A player pushing all his chips in to the centre of a coffee table feels like a small time nobody. A player pushing all his chips into the middle of a quality poker table feels like he’s all-in, heads up at the World Series. Despite this, far too many home games are suffering from an easily-remedied problem. The vast majority of home game players are, unfortunately and unnecessarily, still playing on dining room tables or Grandma’s little Euchre table. If you play poker once a week, if you play poker once a month, if your poker game is at all a regular event, then you need a real poker table, and there is one out there to fit the needs of your game and your budget.

What Style Is Right For Me?

There are three common styles of poker table available to prospective owners, each with its own advantages. These styles are octagonal, round, and oval “hold ‘em” tables.

Octagonal and round tables are smaller symmetrical designs. Octagonal generally hold 8 players and round tables generally hold between 6 and 8 players. Octagonal and round tables are good options for people who have space constraints or smaller games, as the tables take up less space.

Oval hold ‘em tables are larger than octagons or round tables, usually 7 to 8 feet in length and 4 feet in width. They are better for larger games as an 8 foot table can seat up to 10 people comfortably and more can be squeezed in if necessary. Also, oval tables add a feeling of professionalism for many players, as they are the table type used in the major tournaments that have become so popular on television.

Features And Construction

When buying your table you will be confronted by many different construction options and features. Always inquire what materials are used in construction if details aren’t made readily available. Any reputable builder selling a quality product will be glad to tell you what their tables are made of. Here is a list of the most common materials and their advantages:

Woods: Most tables make heavy use of plywood as their main construction material. This is because plywood is affordable, readily available, and comes in sheets perfectly sized for poker tables. The second most common is MDF (medium-density-fiberboard). The biggest advantage to MDF is that it is perfectly flat. However, it tends to hold screws poorly, so if you’re buying an MDF table, make sure the builder used compatible fasteners. Some builders use hardwoods on their tables. This is not as commonly used as the ply or MDF, except on some octagonal tables, and it is a higher-end, more expensive option.

Foams: Poker tables have two places that make critical use of foams - the padded rail, and under the playing surface. The foam for the padded rail should be high-density foam, usually 1” thick but sometimes thicker. Rail foam should always have 100% recovery, which means no matter how many times you compress it, it will always spring back to its original shape. The foam underneath (more…)

“Image�? is how you project yourself to other people or, from their perspective, how they see you. Poker table image is what other players see when they play against you. Having an image and making use of this is something most people fail to realize.

Using Your Poker Table Image to Your Advantage

The key to poker table image is to make your opponents see what you want to see. The slogan you must keep in mind is, “Confusion to thy enemies.�?

If your temperament is to play as a loose player, make them think that is how you play all the time. When you get a premium hand, play it as if you have a weak hand – which will confuse the other players when the hand is played out.

If you are a tight player, turn your plays to your benefit. Allow the others to think you have picked up a good hand by betting pre-flop. If you win the blinds, act pleased and if you are called, don’t be dejected. A follow-up bet on the flop will make it difficult for a good player to call. If the flop turns out big (i.e., ace, king, knave), your opponents will most probably assume that you have a hit and fold. If the flop comes out low and your weak hand hits, it may turn out even better as they will think you have an even larger hand.

Aggressive Playing As An Advantage

Being aggressive has its own worth, and aggressive players must use this to their advantage. Aggressive players often anger their opponents. This can be frustrating (to them) and makes them play stubborn: instead of folding their weak hands, they may just be annoyed enough that they will call rather than fold.

Play your hand aggressively and take them up on the challenge: call, call and call again.

Mucks and Nuts

Most online poker rooms provide players with the option to show or muck – use this to your advantage.

If you have the winning hand, muck it. If you’ve got a nut hand, make them pay if they want to see it. Simply showing the winning hand gives free information to the other players. It will give them the confidence of knowing they made the correct play and they will play accordingly. Keeping one’s hand to oneself confuses your opponents and makes them doubt their own game.

The Art of the Bluff

Show the bluff every once in a while. There is nothing more upsetting to a player than knowing that they folded with a winning hand. This will demoralize them – they will question every play they make, especially when they are playing against you. The next time they encounter you, they will think you are trying to bluff them again and when you show them the nuts, it will only annoy and confuse them more.

Playing In a Live Game

The ability to show only one card in a live game can be used to your benefit. Showing a low card (such as a deuce) and mucking your other card can often confuse the other players. Keep in mind, however, that experienced players can quickly catch on to you and counter your moves; as such, it may be best to go back to mucking your cards.

Poker as a Mind Game

The most important lesson to remember is that poker is a mind game – and your poker table image is an important tool in the arsenal. Reading this article should give you an idea about how to maintain and manipulate your poker table image to your advantage.