Table selection

[TheRonin]

Alright // I've heard it said that table selection is almost as important as the cards you hold in the game. I was wondering if someone could talk about how table selection should affect your play. My experience w/ table selection is usually I try to find the tables that have the fewest % of players seeing flops. I for the most pary am a fairly tight player so I when I enter the pot I usually have the best hand. I have found that my hands rarley stand up when there is a high % of players at the table seeing the flops (obv.) I use to try to play along with the players just to lose money or break even. If I get a table like that now I just leave. It just frustrates me to have my hands get broken by someone calling a raise w/ 69 suited.
Shouldnt I be able to bend my game around tables like this to make them profitable, or should I just leave?
All tips and comments are apprec.
Thanks

[AaronBrown]

Bad players are usually loose, so a loose table is more likely to have bad players. You can play good Poker tight or loose, but the odds say you'll do better against loose players on average.

This is even more true if you're a tight player. You generally want to be the opposite of the table. It's true that you'll lose more pots than you win at a loose table, but the larger size of the pots you win more than makes up for that. If you play tight and have the best hand 1/3 of the time you bet, and the loose players put $3 in the pot for every $1 you contribute, you'll do well.

[Rode_Dog]

I always look for tables that average 30-35% VP$IP. This indicates a generally loose table and, being a T/A player, these tables are the most profitable for me. Many T/As would prefer a loose / passive table. I tend to make more money against loose agressive tables. I just tighten up a bit more and set traps, L/As and maniacs always seem to be willing to give me thier stack [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[torsken]

Since you have problems battling in family pots which usually are highly profitable, I suspect you might be overplaying holdings vulnerable to drawouts, like top pair top kicker, over pair and small two pair against big fields. Wait until you flop a set or a big nut draw before you commit a lot of your money trying to punish the legions of no fold 'em donks calling to the river with meagre holdings.

[TheRonin]

good call tork.. thanks

[PokrLikeItsProse]

I prefer a mix of 1-2 maniacs, some loose players, and some tight, predictable players. In general, I prefer players who are predictable, whether loose or tight, passive or aggressive, unless they are rocks.

If you know you are incapable of adjusting to differing table conditions, then you should stick to those tables you feel comfortable playing at, but it sometimes takes discipline to walk away from a table that most players would consider highly profitable.

If you are getting frustrated in family pots, my guess is that you are not betting aggressively enough to build huge pots for when you do win a hand, and you might be hanging onto hands like an overpair for too long when you are obviously beat. It is often correct to ram and jam with good draws at these tables and bad to slowplay.