Table selection and bumhunting in 2020

Table Selection is an effective tool in the hands of experienced players which helps them choose the tables that are most comfortable for them. When selecting, several parameters are taken into account: the number of players, field strength, average stacks, etc. Based on these characteristics, the player chooses the most suitable cash tables, at which, in his opinion, he will receive the maximum profit.

Another way to increase the efficiency of the game is bumhunting. Using this trick, regulars pick only weak opponents, and if they run into more experienced players, they leave the table.

Differences between bumhunting and table selection

At first glance, these concepts mean the same thing – looking for tables with a weak field. However, there is a significant difference between these techniques. By resorting to table selection, a poker player can play against regulars if there are also fish at the table. But bumhunters have more stringent requirements for the choice of tables. They avoid games with regulars, preferring to play only against weak opponents.

Thanks to the ability to occupy seats at different tables, the player gets an excellent opportunity to increase his chances of winning. After all, a prerequisite for making a profit in poker is playing against the weakest opponents. This can be achieved in two ways: by increasing your own skill or by choosing less experienced opponents.

Table selection is not beneficial for poker rooms, as regulars scare newbies away, preventing them from winning. Recreational players want to be able to play against equally weak opponents, where they have a higher chance of winning. Poker rooms are interested in the fact that newbies stay in the room and continue to generate rake. Therefore, many rooms have gone to drastic measures – they are gradually making it more and more difficult to use table selection and bumhunting.

It can be very difficult for poker lovers to find poker rooms where bumhunting and table selection are allowed. This is because the room documentation does not use these terms. The situation with table selection has become clearer today, because the prohibition of this technique can be understood by including scripts for automatic landing at tables in the list of unauthorized programs. But the situation with bumhunting is still unclear. Therefore, in this article we will look at poker rooms in which you can still choose tables and opponents.

PartyPoker

PartyPoker does not allow the use of third-party software for automatic seating at tables that meet certain parameters. However, no one has been punished for leaving the table when a strong regular appears or a fish leaves. The only thing that in this poker room you will have to do is to manually select tables.

PartyPoker does not allow you to view tables before seating. Therefore, it will take a lot of time before you can find a suitable for the game table.

PokerKing

PokerKing also prohibits bumhunting and table selection by the rules. However, the management values its players and does not ban their accounts for looking for more profitable tables. A ban can only be obtained for serious violations, which do not include manual table selection.

The PokerKing lobby displays the names of the players who are currently seated at the table, as well as waiting in line to seat. Therefore, you can take seats at the most fish tables and just as freely leave the game if your recreational opponents go bankrupt or leave. For a long stay in the sit-out, no one will punish you either.

iPoker network

All rooms on the iPoker network do not display a list of players at specific tables and there are no waiting lists, so you cannot join a game against a specific opponent. In observer mode, tables will open randomly, so you will have to manually select tables for a long time.

Bumhunting in iPoker rooms is not officially prohibited. However, any player’s account may be taken under control in order to find out if he was acting for fraudulent purposes. Therefore, if the security service detects suspicious activity, it can block access to the account for further checks without explanation. If it was confirmed that the player violated the rules of the poker room, his account would be permanently blocked, of course, with all the funds in the account.

888Poker

In 888 Poker, you can view the list of players sitting at specific tables. Therefore, manual table selection is possible to find weak opponents.

Bumhunting is not prohibited by the rules of the poker room as well. However, in practice, you can get a punishment for being out of the game too often and for a long time. The security service may ban you from participating in games for a certain period, or untimely if you abuse your sit-out. The support of the room informs that you can take breaks during the game, but only short-term. Therefore, it will not be possible to sit in a sit-out for a long time waiting for recreational players.

TigerGaming

In this room, you cannot view the list of seated and waiting players from the lobby. However, it is possible to open the table by double-clicking on it and evaluate the strength of the composition. Therefore, table selection is possible, but takes a lot of time.

Bumhunting at TigerGaming is not prohibited by the rules of the room. But the security service closely monitors the time spent in the sit-out. In case of prolonged waiting, there is even a separate paragraph of the rules – deliberate blocking of the table, which is punishable by imposing a ban on the account, or by other actions corresponding to the severity of the violation. Therefore, waiting for the arrival of recreational players while in sit-out will not work here.

Of course, the process of finding tables will no longer be as simple and fast as it used to be, when you could use scripts for automatic seating. However, in the considered rooms, it is still possible to select tables manually and leave them at any time without the risk of getting banned.