Learning 6 max, funny question

Let's say that I am interested in learning 6max NL.

I will learn faster/make money slower if I do NOT practice good table selection.

Discuss.

Table selection is much more difficult in 6max, 'cause you can't just go for the high flop% tables like in the full ring. All the tables have high flopping %s; the table's actual character is tougher to figure out.

As import/more important is finding that one fish at whatever table you join, and take hisher stack.

$0.02

Originally Posted by zenbitz

Let's say that I am interested in learning 6max NL.

I will learn faster/make money slower if I do NOT practice good table selection.

A point of clarification please:

1. Are you asking if, given the choice between learning faster OR making more money, which will happen sooner if I ignore table selection best practices?

OR

2. Are you suggesting that learning faster and making more money are directly related and will both happen at a faster rate if I just join random tables?

OR

3. Something else entirely.

If you could clarify or rephrase your hypothesis I would be happy to post a reply, since I find this topic interesting on a few levels.

This may be a major problem with my approach, but I just jump on an open table preferably with high % seeing flop (I only have about 5 to choose from on my network). However, I recently realized that going for tables with low % seeing flop and low pots is actually more profitable for me because it's pretty much weak passives. I go on and raise, raise, raise. After about 20 minutes or so, they start to get upset and try to play back at me - but very weakly still and it's totally transparent. It's amazing how many times they let go of a hand even when they know I am full of it - waiting for the nuts.

So, I'm more of a jump on a table - figure out how people play - play off their weakness. I've been called weak-tight on one table while concurrently being called a fish on another on the same site. I give myself a big hug when this happens.

I just look for tables with the biggest avg pots, although the turnover in these games are rapid, so I don't take it into too much consideration.

Originally Posted by alias2211

Originally Posted by zenbitz

Let's say that I am interested in learning 6max NL.

I will learn faster/make money slower if I do NOT practice good table selection.

A point of clarification please:

Apolgies for being cryptic. Fnord is my idol.

3. Something else entirely.

If you could clarify or rephrase your hypothesis I would be happy to post a reply, since I find this topic interesting on a few levels.

OK, it goes without saying that table selection is important for making money. 6 max or anywhere else. I am not interested in table selection per se, because frankly, it bores me. I would certainly learn it if I was trying to make a living or half living (living dead?) playing.

I don't WANT to practice table selection because I don't have time, and I am only playing 25NL 6max...

The question: Will I learn how to PLAY (NL 6max)
a) faster
b) slower
c) the same

If I do NOT bother with table selection at all. Assume I do not care what my BB/Hour is at all, I just want to get better so I can move up to a real limit.

i guess theoretically you'd learn faster, 'cause you'd get more hands in by not waiting.

But I also guess theoretically you'd learn slower, because you'd be at a different kind of table for each sit, starting from square one as it were.

If you restrict yourself to a specific kind of table, you'll be playing the same basic strat every session, so you'll master that strat faster.

At 25nl, people shuffle in and out so fast selecting a table probably won't make much of a difference... just grab one and play.

However once you get to the mid stakes (200nl+), the difference b/w table selection and not is often the difference between a good night and a break even one. My take on table selection is that it is just as important to realize when you can put your money on a better table giving up on a tough table as it is picking a good one from the beginning.

- sed

Originally Posted by Sed

However once you get to the mid stakes (200nl+), the difference b/w table selection and not is often the difference between a good night and a break even one. My take on table selection is that it is just as important to realize when you can put your money on a better table giving up on a tough table as it is picking a good one from the beginning.

- sed

Hmmm. I better revisit this before I move up to 200NL. Are you using PT to track a table for a period and then selecting or are you manually watching? How long before you sit at a table where you know nobody from prior? I have a time slot from 11pm to 1am to play each night...I can't spend more than 20 minutes looking for a table. But if it means my profits will suffer, maybe I will have to. Any help is appreciated. Not thread-jacking, I think zenbitz would be interested in the answers as well.

To zenbitz - I think you should just jump on a table until you get to 100NL at least. You want exposure to random players until you can figure out what table types work for you.

Ive been practicing table selection nowdays like never befor, and it even boarders onto actual player selection...

I look for high %players/flops AND as high as possible Av. Pot $.

I add myself to the waiting list, then datamine the table so when I get to sit, within 5-10 mins of PT importing I can usually see if there are any big losers on the table, and see how theyve been playing.