So I read a lot on this board about "getting the fish to pay me off" and "don't tap the glass" and so on. And I've read a lot elsewhere about the (seemingly) obvious stratagem of choosing a table at which I am the favorite.

My experience (brief though it may be) has been, though, that when I am the best player at the table, I am handed a lot of really silly (not necessarily bad) beats. Sure, i get my good hands paid off, but it seems like a break-even given the fact that I have so many chips in the pot when they do hit their runner-runner draw.

As a result, I find that I prefer a "good" game with players that are as good or better than I. Is this "poor table selection", according to conventional wisdom? Can one only become profitable by playing against inferior competition?

How much time do you guys spend at a table with players that make you nervous?