When is the Best Time to Play Online Poker?

One of the frequent questions I am asked is when is the best time to sit down and play poker? Specifically, at what time and on which days of the week? And this is indeed an important question because based on my considerable experience, there is actually a certain time when the game is simply "sweeter" (meaning, there are more fish). So if you try to play more often during these periods, it will undoubtedly have a positive impact on your win rate and read best article about Best 10 online casinos.

In today's article, I would like to tell you about the best time to play poker, as well as the best days of the week and months.

1. Play more when the most players are online

First and foremost, in order to determine the best hours to play poker, you need to look at the time when the most people are playing, in other words, determine the peak traffic.

It's simple - the more players online, the higher your chances of finding recreational players.

These are the people who play poker for fun, they are also called "fish". They don't worry about improving their strategy, so they will be losing money at lightning speed. The entire poker industry relies on their money, actually.

Many people argue about which nationality of players are worse or better at poker, but I'll tell you that you can find good and bad players anywhere in the world. So, first and foremost, determine the time with the highest traffic to find bad players.

Which countries have the most online poker players?

Well, since most poker rooms do not disclose this kind of information, it is difficult to say for sure.

However, a large number of people from all over the world visit my website (blackrain79.com). And these are people who are looking for ways to improve their game at micro limits. So, by analyzing my own website, I drew a parallel with poker rooms. And I believe that this is a good and reliable indicator of where the majority of online poker players come from.

As you can see, the United States, Canada, and Brazil, representing roughly the same time zone, make up about 25% of all traffic.

However, the United Kingdom and other European countries together account for a much larger share of global traffic. And if I had listed not the top 10, but the top 25 or top 50, the overwhelming majority of them would be Europeans. And considering that Americans do not play in public player pools, Europeans make up the majority of the traffic.

So, what's missing from this list? That's right, Asia. Only Australia is included in the top 10, coinciding with Asia in terms of time.

Since I myself live in Asia, I know that when it's prime time here, the traffic in the rooms is terrible. That's why I prefer to play either very early in the morning or very late at night.

So, the main conclusion:

If you want to play during peak traffic, I would advise you to play in the evening European time. This is the best time to play.

Prime time in America is also good, but there will be less action. And avoid prime time in Asia, during these hours the ratio of fish to regs is the lowest.

2. Play Less on Weekdays and More on Weekends

So, my second answer regarding the best time to play poker is on weekends. Seriously, the game will be significantly different from weekdays.

The most foolish thing you can do is sit at the tables on a Monday or Tuesday and expect the action to start anytime soon.

The reasons for this are simple. On weekdays, players are not in the mood to gamble. They come back from work, it's the first few days after the weekend, they are tired, and it's unlikely that they will have the desire to sit and play poker right away.

On weekends, however, it's a completely different story. I literally built my poker career on the fact that I would decline meetings with friends on Friday and Saturday nights in order to play "maniacs" online. Late at night on weekends, the game can be simply insanely wild and exciting.

I wouldn't be surprised if my win rate on Saturday nights is significantly higher than my win rate on Monday mornings.

The conclusion is simple, try to play as much as possible on weekends. It is during these days that people take a break from work and play online poker with a bottle of beer.

And it is during these days, usually, that they have the mood to get into action, so the game is much more active in both cash games and tournaments in Casino.org on weekends.

3. Play More During the Holidays and at the Beginning of the Year

In online poker, there is a clear pattern of seasonal activity. There are better times of the year and there are worse times.

From my experience, the best time of year to play online poker is during the holiday season and vacations, which means at the beginning of the year. And the statistics confirm this as well.

According to reports from PocketFives, there is a traffic drop of up to 20% during the summer compared to winter.

There is a simple explanation for this as well. Most poker players come from Europe and America. The weather in these countries is quite bad and uncomfortable during the winter months, so people are more inclined to stay at home where it is dry and warm and play poker.

During the summer months, the weather improves in these countries. As someone from Canada, I can say that the peak of the weather there is in July, August, and September. And the last thing people want to do on those days is to stay at home all day and play cards.

Another trend that I have noticed is that the game becomes much better during the holidays, especially during Christmas and New Year.

Many people have time off from work during these periods. And during the holidays, people are in a festive mood, ready to gamble and spend some money.

The first few months of the year are the most profitable for gyms and fitness centers, and the same applies to online poker.

Also, many players tell themselves that "in the new year, I will finally start winning in poker!". This also increases the traffic.

So if you want to enjoy all the benefits of high traffic, which provides great opportunities for table selection, I recommend playing more in the first months of the year.

Final thoughts

The best time to play poker is a topic of constant debate. The truth is that while the time you play can have an impact on your poker success, it is not a game-changer.

If you play at low limits (NL50 and below), where there is always a lot of action, it doesn't really matter what time you play. There will always be good games available.

Things like having a proper strategy, discipline, and the ability to control your emotions will be much more important for your poker results.

However, you can still give yourself a slight edge by focusing on playing during the "prime time". This will be especially important when moving up to a new limit, where there is less action and the games are more challenging.

If you want to maximize your chances of success in poker, play at the right time when there are the most fish (weaker players) at the tables.