Table Selection Question

[TheHammer24]

I understand the concept of table selection and I try to my cognizant of the players at my table; however, I need to imporve this aspect of my game. I see many posters arguing with good table selection bad 2/4 games can be as hard as good 5/10 games. I was wondering what things I should look for when choosing a table and how many orbits into a table I should be able to tell whether or not I am at a good one. I have PT and datamine a little here and there but my database is by means large enough to have 50 hands on any more than a few players when I just sit down. Thanks in advance.

[Nick C]

I just now joined a 5/10 table, posted in the CO, was dealt 88 (with which I 3-bet MP2), bet the flop and turn when checked to, and won when my opponent folded.

A couple of hands later, I open-raised AJs. A bunch of people folded, and I thought I might be about to win the blinds. But then the BB 3-bet. I called the flop and then folded when led into again on the turn.

By the time the big blind got around to me, no pot had been as much as 3-way yet, no hands had gone to the river, and I already had my auto-post button unclicked.

Then I clicked "sit out" and then "leave table" and then confirmed that I was sure.

I had seen enough.

[cracker9521]

I like opening three party skins and having twelve tables open with gt+ or pokerace running. Then take 30 mins or so to watch a tv show or read. Come back and the tables that look juicy you can put your name on the waiting list.

[NNH]

I usually make an effort to at least watch a couple of orbits before sitting down. I look for who's tight PF, who's playing every hand, who are the aggressors, who are the passive callers, etc.

Last night I sat down at a 6max table as fast as I could. No reads, no notes, nothing. (Sorry for not converting the hands, but I can't find the hand histories).

First hand - AQo in the BB.
Button raises, I call.
Flop is Q83. I check. Button bets. I raise. Button calls
Turn is 3. I bet. Button calls.
River is x. I bet. Button calls. Button shows down KK.

Ok, hell even with a good read on the guy, I might call him down w/ Q high. Not a big deal.

1 hand later - AKo from Button.
CO raises. I raise. SB calls.
K3x flop. CO bets. I raise. SB folds. CO 3-bets. I call.
x turn. CO bets. I know I'm beat but call.
x river. Rinse and repeat. CO shows down 33 for the set.

Ok, I screwed this one up.

Next hand. 88. Flop w/ overcards. I lose.

Next hand. AJo from SB. CO limps. I raise. CO 3-bets! I call.
Flop is Axx. I bet. CO calls
Turn is x. I bet. CO raise. Cmon! I stupidly call on tilt by now.
River x. I check call. CO shows down AA for his set.

Scouting tables is good. Losing about 15 BB's in 6 hands is not. I could have saved quite a few bets by just scouting the table before sitting down.

[Hoi Polloi]

This is probably the 4th or 5th table selection thread since June. Check out the search feature.

Avg. # of players to the flop is the key; <4 = bad; >4 = good. Aside from the glory tables I find 2 types of 2/4 tables are typical and best and will average >= 4 to the flop.

1. 5+ in 30-35 range, the rest are TAG and/or WT.
2. 2+ over 50, 3+ over 25, the rest are TAG and/or WT.

The other factor that determines how long I stay is my position relative to the others. Best is from my right TAGs, WT, then the LPs and LAs. WT on my right is okay. If the composition is mixed (usually the case) I go by how the table feels to play.

Good luck.

[crunchy1]

[ QUOTE ]
I have PT and datamine a little here and there but my database is by means large enough to have 50 hands on any more than a few players when I just sit down.

[/ QUOTE ]
There's really no excuse for this. Set-up your computer to datamine when you're not using it.

My best table selection advice: Buddy list, Buddy list, Buddy list - Search Function. I add 4-5 new buddies every session I play. My list has grown to the point where I now exclusively use my buddy list to search for the poor playing opponents that I've encountered in previous sessions. If you want to jumpstart your buddy list filter the players that you do have in PT by VP$IP and add all the guys that are +40% to your buddy list.

Easy pickin's!!! [img]/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img]

[ejay]

is the buddylist part of the pt?

[crunchy1]

[ QUOTE ]
is the buddylist part of the pt?

[/ QUOTE ]
No it's a feature available on Party (and skins?).

[flair1239]

At 5/10 I sit at any table, take two orbits and evaluate.

Lately I have been assigning more value to passiveness, and not so much to VPIP.

I would prefer to have loose and passive, but sometimes that just is not the case.

King Yao's book kind of brought this home for me anyways. Basically on a passive table, even a tight passive one, you have an easier time reading hands because your opponents betting patterns are fairly predictable.

Whereas with a loose passive table, you are frequently working with a fairly large range on hands. I am not syaing that I prefer to play with tight players. But I have been sticking with some of the tight passive tables a little longer and finding them to be a nice steady profit.

But what I am looking for is :

1. looseness pf. (looking for the obvious mistakes.)
2. Passiveness PF. (allows you to see more flops)
3. PAssiveness post flop. (Allows you to see cheap draws, and get extra callers).

4. Just general bad play.

Usually after 2 orbits I know what I want to do. Sometimes though I will leave a playable table, if I think that something better is out there.

[Mroberts3]

This is a great thread, thanks to all who have contributed. I have a question about datamining... I just started obersving Eurobet tables with GT+ out, but unless I am sitting at the table I cannot open GT+ to see the table averages or each player's stats. Can someone tell me how to view this info when I am not sitting at the table? Thanks.