When playing Texas Hold ‘em online you can play games that have a pre-determined number of players at the table. The number of players around a table is an important factor to take into account because depending on the number of players present you will need to adopt your strategy accordingly.

If you are playing in a single table Sit N Go tournament you will usually be able to select the size of the field that you want to compete against. This can range from heads up play (2 players against each other) through to 9 or 10 players around a table. Even though you will start with a set number of players in a Sit N Go, this will slowly dwindle as players are eliminated so you need to be constantly aware of numbers at your table.

There are numerous strategies specific to Sit N Go’s which I’ll go into later.

With cash Texas Hold ‘em games you will be able to see the number of players around a table prior to joining, however, the numbers can increase or decrease over time as people lose all their chips or decide to leave, or other players decide to join in the action. This can complicate matters somewhat, but if you join a solid cash game the numbers shouldn’t change too often so you can get into a poker player rhythm based on the play of your opponents and how many there are of them. As a general rule, if you find yourself on a cash game table with a relatively small number of players such as 4-6, the blinds will come around to you a lot faster than a full table so you can see your chips dwindle quickly. Also, statistically with fewer players involved it will mean that you will need to play hands of a lower value than you would play if there were 9 players involved.

Tables with 5 or 6 players often attract higher quality players because to be successful you need to be able to play lower hands well which means having solid post-flop play and be able to bully players out of the pot through aggressive pre-flop raising. If you fit the bill, then this size of table would be a good option for you. However, if you simply want to see more action quicker by playing in small tables then you need to be very careful and ensure that you show some patience when selecting hands to play.

Larger tables containing 8, 9 or 10 Texas Hold ‘em players are usually more suited to beginner or intermediate players as there is more time to decide whether to play a hand and assess your opposition and the blinds come around a lot slower meaning that you can take your time and only play premium starting hands. However, as larger tables can be rife with beginners and less confident players, it can be an excellent place for proficient players to pick off the weaker ones.

Find a table with a couple of loose callers and you can often clean out their bankroll. Although if a table has several kamikaze callers you might need to be a little more wary and modify your strategy to a very solid, rock-like game. You may not yet know which size of table suits you best if you are just starting out. Play a few sessions against a different number of players and see which you feel comfortable with and most importantly which number of players you regularly win the most against. There are some poker professionals that base their careers on heads-up games and do very well from it, whilst others flourish against full tables. Only time and experience will dictate which size table fits your style of play.