What stats do you look for when selecting a table? I use TableRatings as well as another "tool" which highlights such things as VPIP, PFR & total of $$$ won or lost at that table. Do you guys use any special "tools" ?

I see both pros and cons with either a tight or loose table. Each requiring a different style, this is how i generally play:

TIGHT TABLE = Blind stealing heaven. Very easy to steal blinds by raising from almost every position. If anyone calls my CBET "bluff" it is very easy to dump that hand and move on. They players are VERY easy to read. The draw back is there are almost no big pots to be won and these players are not "gamblers" which is who I prefer to play.

LOOSE TABLE = Sit back and wait. I still play medi cards in position and am more willing to call one CBET post flop if I happen to be out of position. With these players it seams they show there true colors or weakness on the turn. Basically I wait for monster starting hands and I am almost guaranteed action as these players love to put money in the pot. I can bet out or check and they will usually bet for me, get my money in with the best - end of story.

This adaption to different enviornments happens automatically for me (it just "feels" right) and seems to work well but I have only been playing for about a year which is nothing compared to you old pros. I cannot tell you how much my game has improved since joining your site. If I had this knowledge when I started a year ago, I dread to think of all the time and money I could have saved and made.

Any thoughts on table selection as well as how I am adapting currently ?

Marc, Great Post.
Let me talk here about poker table selection in general. I will eventually be turning some of these points into an article.
- Live poker
- Generally you don't want to play with the regulars (if you are a regular at a casino) unless you know they are poor players or you have history with someone. You want to play with players you haven't seen before because they don't know your game. However make sure that a table has a lot of money on it. If you spot a game where everyone has a few buyins in front of them the game is probably good. You don't want to see a lot of short stackers and only one person having all the money in front of them.

- In terms of online table selection I usually look at the average pot size and the average number of players per flop. You would want the average pot size (which is the action that the players at the table are giving) to be as high as possible. This is because you on average make more money with bigger hands on this type than others. You also want to see a high % of average number of players per Flop. This tells us how loose the players are playing. A high % here tells us that the game is loose and the starting hand requirements are low when entering a pot.

Also when chosing a table you want
- large average pot sizes - be aware of stack sizes - you dont want to be at a table with too many short stackers
- you want to look for a table with a lot of limping.
- you want position on big stack sizes and lose agressive players

There are tons of tools you can get that search and find the loosest and easiest tables across your favourite poker site. However when you are in a casino the best tool is you being aware of what tables are good and what aren't. Believe it or not any table that is being loud that has a lot of money on it spread out over a few different players is generally a pretty damn good table. So get on a table change to that table and get in position to the big stacks who are playing loose.

Thanks for your input Killer,

Pretty much what i thought on table selection. You write quite a bit about live play where as I only play online. I figure its a lot more effecient, however I interested in giving some live play its due attention. Can you recommend any specific casinos in my area, I live in Mississauga which is a suburb of Toronto.

Thanks in advance.

Sounds like you have the right ideas Mark. Usually the best players to play against are ones who play a lot of pots, but don't raise much and are very passive. So high VPIP, low pre-flop raise percentage, and not very aggressive post-flop. They are usually the biggest donators at the table. When table selecting online, look for the tables with the highest VPIPs (or players seeing the flop %) and largest average pot-sizes as probably the best general rule.