Table Selection

Another of the things I have been concentrating on lately is table selection. Playing casually previously, I'd read about the importance of the concept but never really practiced it. Since getting a bit more serious about improving the last couple of weeks, I've paid a lot more attention to it, and I can really see now how you are hurting your winrate if you don't practice a solid table selection strategy.

Essentially I'm looking at the tables with the highest VPIP and pot size, but more than that Im looking on those tables to find particular players I think I can exploit. Sometimes a table might have a temporary high VPIP or pot size if there has been an unusual run of cards. I'm looking for those tables where I can see one or more players with a sustained VPIP over 40, and preferably a passive aggression factor as well. Surprisingly, there have been more of these players around than I thought - I've regularly been sitting at tables with players VPIP 70 and over just giving their stacks away. Often they are sitting with 3 buyins + having hit some hands .. but almost always they give it right back again. It's been really profitable to deliberately seek out these opportunites - although it definitely increases the variance, I think its added a significant factor to my long term EV.

One other benefit - it helps you identify the other regular good players and to be aware of them. I see half a dozen or so players clearly practising the same strategy as me ... they are always on the waiting list for the same tables, and like me they leave immediately the fish goes broke or stands up from the table.