Table and seat selection.

At pokerroom where I play there tends to be like 20+ 50NL 5max tables at the times I play. I tend to look for tables where most of the players has $20-40 in chips and possibly one with a bigger stack, from my experience the players who dont rebuy back to $50 when they have lost a big hand are real bad. I actually think I have made the most money so far at the 5 max tables destacking the shortstacks. They give me huge implied odds, just like earlier today calling on a flush draw 1:3, pot being $8, then checkraise all in on turn all in and the shortstack calling with his last $20. The shortstacks make such loose calls, wich I think is great.

I also wonder a bit wich seat it is best to choose when sitting down at a table where I dont have notes on any of the players from before. What I do is usually to have the biggest stack at the table on my right so I have position in the possible biggest pots. If I had notes I`d obviously go for postion on the laggs and tighties to steal blinds from on my left.

How do you choose table and seat? And what do you think of my view of shortstacks? And I guess this is most suitable for low to mid-stakes, I guess there are not too many shortstacks at the higher levels?

Donks to your right (picture yoruself sitting at the table for real) and weak tighty's to your left that wont prevent you from separating the donks from their money.

Do you guys seriously go through all this trouble?

It just seems like a pain in the ass to have to observe a table for half an hour, then pray that there is a seat left over by the time you're finished mulling over your decision, only to find out that the last seat just got taken and you have to move your search to another table.

I just check the general table stats (pot size, etc) then start playing. If I notice I am in a bad spot after 30-40 hands, then I get up. Is anyone else like me?

BTW I am somewhat of a beginner still so i am probably full of crap and can't be trusted. I would just like to understand how people can even be picky at a table that is constantly gaining and losing players of all different qualities. By the time you get two hours into a good session, I don't think your original choice would be relevant.

table selection is worth it. I never sit at a table where I see a bunch of good regulars, especially on my left.

if you dont know the players get the big stacks on your right.

Having a good table can result in multiplying your bb/100.

Originally Posted by Renton

Do you guys seriously go through all this trouble?

It just seems like a pain in the ass to have to observe a table for half an hour, then pray that there is a seat left over by the time you're finished mulling over your decision, only to find out that the last seat just got taken and you have to move your search to another table.

I just check the general table stats (pot size, etc) then start playing. If I notice I am in a bad spot after 30-40 hands, then I get up. Is anyone else like me?

BTW I am somewhat of a beginner still so i am probably full of crap and can't be trusted. I would just like to understand how people can even be picky at a table that is constantly gaining and losing players of all different qualities. By the time you get two hours into a good session, I don't think your original choice would be relevant.

I don't spend 30 mins on table selection, but you have to at least look around a little bit. Like Ping said, I don't like to sit at a table where I've got a player I know to be good on my left. This is where your players notes that you should be taking now come to pay off later on. I like sitting down in a seat w/ a donk on my left and a big stack on my right. I also look for (relative to the buyin) large avg. pot sizes. I like taking on big stacks, not coinflipping all day against small stack pushes. I won't sit at a table if more than 2 players have less than half the max buyin. Ideally all other 5 seats would have max buyins, with a couple of large stacks that I can sit down in position against right away.

I know everyone in the games i play, if i don't reckognize them then i assume they are bad, or i know they are bad, if there is a seat to their left i take it, if the table is really good anyways i take any seat. Its very simple, and makes a world of difference for my winrate.

where most of us play at the smaller stakes, table selection usually just means finding an open seat. almost everyone sucks and if you find a guy sittin with 300 bbs, you can't assume he's any good at all. if after a while the table sucks i just find a new one too. player notes definitely help but i don't run into the same people too often.

At the lower stakes I also don't sit at the tables with the LARGEST pot size [unless I'm trying to clear bonuses].....

In 25nl (6 max) I rather sit at a table where the avg pot is 6-9.

.... wierd... maybe...?