Table Selection Importance

I just started a year ago and still play off and on, but this site and these sorts of posts taught me a ridiculous amount so thanks.

So I just discovered table selection was a big reason I kept hovering at the 10NL level I was at, and I don't read about it as other (equally important) topics here. It involves a mix of important lessons (reads, patience, discipline) discussed in the above sticky.

This article explains it: http://www.flopturnriver.com/essays_...selection.html

By finding the right tables I make ridiculously more than just focusing on hand selection and pot odds and opening up a bunch of tables. This is obvious to experienced players, but to me it felt like a breakthrough. Now I search out tables with at least 2 big call stations and/or position on a total maniac, and my (usually) TAG game is paying off so much more than before when I only went to tables with large pot sizes. Anyway here's an extreme example from the last table I played:

PokerStars No-Limit Hold'em, $0.10 BB (6 handed) FTR converter on zerodivide.cx


MP (Huge Call Station)/ ($3.60)
CO ($19.60)
Button (Another Call Station)/($15.65)
SB (Huge Maniac)/ ($41.70)
BB ($4.05)
Hero ($10.15)

Preflop (99.9999% chance of a pre flop raise here): Hero is UTG with K, K.
Hero calls $0.10, MP (Huge Call Station)/ calls $0.10, CO raises to $0.8, Button calls $0.80, SB (Huge Maniac)/ calls $0.75, BB calls $0.70, Hero raises to $10.15, MP =(Huge Call Station)/ calls $3.50 (All-In), CO folds, Button calls $9.35, SB =(Huge Maniac)/ shockingly folds , BB folds.

Flop: ($26.30) K, 8, 3 (3 players, 1 all-in)

Turn: ($26.30) 4 (3 players, 1 all-in)

River: ($26.30) 6 (3 players, 1 all-in)

Final Pot: $26.30

Hero has Kc Kd (three of a kind, kings).
Huge Call Station has 2h 9h (high card, king).
Button has 6h 6s (three of a kind, sixes).
Outcome: Hero wins $26.30. [/color]

One of the things that I still am horrible at is realizing I am at a bad table and then still staying because "I can beat any table."

It is much better to crush an easy table then it is to grind it out at a tough one.

Ya - it was really exciting to discover this huge leak then change and see the results. It's so easy to find call station filled tables at low limits to better fit my TAG strategy instead of playing random tables with most or all TAGs or (potentially worse) LAGs

Moooooneeeeeyy..................................ni ce