Most people, when they play poker(in this case limit holdem), they concentrate on what cards to play preflop, calculate pot odds, hand odds, and concentrate on the minutia of trying to win. But, as in many things, it is often essential to step back and look at the bigger picture. Success often lies in not how you play the game of poker, but WHERE you play.

Look, when you sit down with other players at a poker table, either online or in a live game, if all of the other players are doing what your doing (you know, playing perfect poker) then the odds are that you will all break even over the long run. Thats just probability. So where then does the profit come from?

You guessed it. All of your profit comes from your opponents mistakes. Ok then, how can you tell ahead of time which tables have these types of players? Easy.

If youre on an online casino, many of them will list a percent flop rate in the lobby. The higher the flop rate, the more dead money is on the table. If a ten player table has 5 people seeing the flop consistently (50%), 2-3 of those players are playing marginal hands to see the flop. Thats where your money is. Period. I look for anything over 38%.

Also, in those online casinos that don't list a flop rate (as well as those that do), it's important to count the average number of big bets in the pot. If its 6 bets average, it's an ok table. If there's an average pot size of ten bets, get in on it baby, you've just found an ATM. What this method does here is inherently finds those games where players are cold calling raises, or where four or more players see a flop, or where 3 or more players are going all the way to the river. All of which constitutes inferior play, which means more money in your pocket.

So the trick here is to have the discipine to find and wait for those tables that have the right characteristics for profitible play. That takes patience. Be patient. Don't just jump into the first open seat you find. do this one thing and your profits will soar.