Table selection: picking the right table is half the battle

There's one piece of advice that makes more money than any fancy play, and almost nobody follows it: choose your table well. You don't have to be the best in the world, just better than the players in front of you.

What to look for in a good table

• •Big pots and lots of players seeing the flop: a sign of a loose, passive table, where the money moves.
• •Players who call too much: that's where your value pays for itself.
• •Deep stacks to your right, short stacks to your left (ideally): you play in position over the money.

What to avoid

Tables full of tight, aggressive regulars, small pots, everyone folding. There the rake eats your margin and there's no easy money. If you aren't clearly the best at the table, get up and find another one.