Every poker table you sit down to is different. Sometimes the differences are obvious (say, a fixed limit $3/6 cash game at Harrah's vs. a Sit and Go tournament at Party). Sometimes the differences are sublte, but no two poker tables are the same.

Poker, unlike some other games, requires you to make decsions based on both your cards, and also your knowledge of your opponents.

During first break at one tournament I was in, I heard a group of guys complaining about the play at their table. There was a free-shooting lady at their table, and no one knew how to take her. Her aggressiveness took down a couple of large pots because her opponents were shocked by her bold moves.

The truth is, had any of them played with her before they would have relieved her of all of her chips by the first break.

But, her opponents were playing anonymous poker. They did not know who she was, or how she played. She did not know who they were or how they played.

How long does a round of anonymous poker last? According to the saying, if you can't spot the sucker in the first fifteen minutes at the table . . . So, the answer is that you need to start gathering data about the players at your table from the moment you sit down. Sooner if possible.

If you are in a live situation, start studying their person and their habits. Sometimes things people wear, or say tell a lot about them. Enough that some of it transfers over into their poker game. Who looks like they need the action, and what opponents look rather comfortable in that chair. So comfortable that they don't mind not playing a hand all day, after all, there will be cards tomorrow as well.

If you're online, make use of the note-taking function. Perhaps you've seen these players before and have some notes on them already. Take advantage of the edges you can get online by keeping track of players you've played against.

Also, feel free to sit out a few hands, essentially, when you sit at a new table. The time spent gathering information at first can pay great rewards later.

One of the stumbling blocks that players face when moving from a familiar home game or local tournament scene into the larger casino or online card rooms is that they lose half of their game. They no longer have any information about their opponents, and they dont' gather information on their new opponents fast enough to help them.

The longer you spend playing against unknown opponents, the longer you will be relying on only the cards in a game where the cards are only half of the matter.