Table selection (or lack thereof)

Another winner, ship it!!! I didn't really find great tables last night, but still managed to get in a pretty easy win. To be honest I think my potential for winning has jumped up this week versus last for two reasons. Firstly, the table selection has improved chances of winning, and secondly I'm able to see situations a little clearer against people who are essentially tight weak players.

The problem is some of these people may bet normal pre flop, then cbet, which seems super standard, so raising with a 2nd pair type hand seems standard, but more often than not they are only cbetting with a hand. So I find myself giving them more and more credit and it's making my game a lot simpler. Still 2 of the 3 biggest pots I lost were due to semi-bluffs backfiring, and the biggest was a suckout of floppped flush versus overpair/runner runner full house. I can't complain, the biggest winning pot was set over set, which I swear I've never had on Full Tilt, but had happen to me multiple times. Overall, small win, but good to see a profit return, and I'll be taking stabs at NL25 earlier than bankroll would suggest if I keep this confidence in my game.

Two things before an NL25 shot. Firstly, continue working on table selection. I really need to keep a focus on players hands during my non-playing hands, to help determine if the table is really good or not. I could easily miss a big pot, which may have stacks of information in it. Also I still need to iron out who is calling a cbet to float a lot, and who is doing it with top pair, never folding to anything. I don't need to run bluffs that are getting constantly caught by these low limit players, so either I fire a single cbet, rather than my usual bet flop and turn, or just give up on flop when I'm OOP and the flop is fairly dry and he's calling mostly with the goods. Have to take a closer look at this later.

Back to table selection, and most importantly why I've never been that interested. Firstly, I would table select a little, by choosing what looks like a decent table in the lobby, and a decent table position based on stack sizes. But once I got 3 bet twice by my immediate left, I'd try to outplay him. Basically, one huge problem I have is trying to outplay good players. I figured I'd get more of a thrill out of outplaying 18/16/4's than just taking 50/4/0.3's to value town. Exact opposite. I now love these fishy players, as I know I'm going to get paid by them constantly. So I'd get surprised when I'd bluff a guy off of two pots, then he'd call my 3 barrell bluff with top pair. Whats surprising, he's paid attention to my style, and is happily letting me value own myself, well played sir. Secondly, I just don't like to pay full attention to the tables. I do get a little flustered when I have 3 tables with action at once, but there is so much downtime, and I"m never paying attention. The less attention, the less table selecting you are doing. I've been known to play 20 hands against a player without knowing he was there. Like a fish left, and I didn't notice for 20 hands. So for some reason, rather than address this obvious problem, I covered it up by saying I'm working hard, but actually focusing on other smaller problems in my game. Can I get it in here with top pair versus this guys flop shove? Well what would he get it in with here that I beat? Has he been loose/tight/spewy/tilted? I don't know, because I haven't seen his hands.

So basically, practising table selection is a perfect antidote to poker laziness that costs you big money IMO. Knowing how to play a draw or top pair is important, but even more important is to have that guy on a range, and work out why he's doing what he's doing, based on his history. Denis Philips (chip leader of WSOP) actually mentioned this on a podcast recently, but he has flaws, and his coach coming into the final table is working out those flaws, and concentrating on improving them. I think what I'm doing will essentially be the same. After working on table selection a bit, I'll probably write out 15-20 aspects of the game that are essential to being a top player, and rate my overall skills versus say a 20BB/100 winner at NL100 to see what areas need the most work. I'd give myself 8/10 in no categories, but some will obviously be closer to 2/10 some closer to 7/10, so that will be an interesting excersize and I'm sure if I'm honest and can keep up a work rate, I will make it in this poker world.