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Now that you've learned how to choose a suitable table, let's give some thought to just where you ought to sit at that lucky table.

If you've just tuned in, you can find last week's discussion by reading to the bottom of this page and clicking on Past Tips , or by simply clicking the links below listed as topics for discussion.

Where to Sit?

Usually we will have only a limited choice of where to sit. The rule of thumb is to the left of the money, since money at the poker table tends to move counter clockwise. We should refine that a bit and say to the left of the aggressive player. This allows us a read on the aggressive player before we commit money to the pot. Many may think that the above wraps it up but consider this. Many casinos use Kemi cards or something similar reusable deck. After the casinos, clean the cards, and then arrange them like new decks, suited with the top card the Ace of Spades. After a period time the ace warps, not much but enough. When the dealers shuffle the deck this warp causes the ace to be cut to the first or second card on top of the deck, much more than might be expected. As a result, the burn card is the ace of spades and the one seat gets the ace of spades, two or three times more than predicted by probability. That is a significant edge, and why so many Vegas players like to sit in the one seat. Warping cards is a cheating technique that I will discuss in a future article. To detect this problem, look at the deck in the dealer's box, if it exists the deck will gap apart at the warped card.

Not much in this decision so I will address another here. When to get up? As discussed in an earlier article, most of the money won is from only one or two players, The "Action." If, after 15 minutes, you don't know who the action is, you're it. Ask for a table change or change tables if online. If the action leaves, you might want to look for a better table. If you determine that the game doesn't fit your style of play, walk. Generally if the game turns bad or your play becomes bad leave. If the game is good but you are doing poorly, we might look at how many pots will it take to get even? If we are four average pots down, we should consider a walk. Even three average pots should be considered. This takes the play of the table into account. Never let a good game destroy your bankroll. This can be hard, when you are only in Vegas for the weekend, but see a show, eat, take a nap or ride ' Escape from Atlantis' at Caesar's Palace . Your bankroll will appreciate it.