When is a Poker Table Getting too Big

This is just simple mathematics but it is something many people overlook: the fewer people playing at a table the higher chance you have of winning. If they are 10 people playing at a table, you have a 1/10 or 10% chance of winning while if there are only 4 people playing, you have a ¼ or 25% chance of winning. That is why sticking with tables with fewer people is better from a mathematical standpoint. However, a lot of poker is psychological and played in the mind, and table size also has a physiological effect on the game.

In games where more and more people are playing, there is a smaller chance that you have a hand that is better than the hands of all other players. That is why in many cases hands that would have won if just a few people are playing will lose in hands where many more people are playing. Once all players identify this, they will bid less and less even with good hands, and the game becomes more about luck than skill. For those who are experienced in poker, when the game becomes all about luck and strategy plays less of a factor in determining the winner of the hand, you lose your advantage and obviously, this is something that you do not want to do.

So, what is a good number to play per table? Well at most poker tournaments there is a set number of players at each table and this is kept constant throughout, but, if you are playing casually with friends or can choose table size, you should try to limit each table to 5 to 7 people. Once more than 10 players get involved in a hand, the game has become too large and should be split into two different tables if possible.

Alternatively, if you rely on luck to win poker, you still want to play with smaller tables to give yourself a better shot mathematically at winning the hand.