Tip # 51 of 52, Practicing good game selection adds to your profits.

Recognizing profitable games is an underrated poker skill. It is quite possible that a player adept at choosing the right game wins significantly more money than a far more skilled player who lacks judgment in game selection. Do not underestimate the value of choosing the right game. Here are some guidelines:

• Don't sit in games full of tight-aggressive players. This is the style of play that gets the money in hold'em. If several of these players are in your game, they snatch up whatever profit is available from the weaker players. Look for another game.
• Look for games with loose-passive players; those are the easiest games to beat. This implies that the most profitable games may not have the biggest pots, as passive play tends to promote smaller pot sizes. However, these players won't charge you the maximum when they hold the best hand. Provided you Don't return the favor, the chips will be heading in your direction.
• Avoid wild and crazy games when your bankroll is short. Games with big pots are appealing, but may not be your best move when you are on short money. You will have both your biggest wins and biggest losses in wild games. It is often best to seek out more passive opposition, particularly when you cannot afford a big loss.
• Winning at poker is all about the edge you have over your opponents. Poker is a long-term proposition, and if you play in situations in which you have an advantage, you will be a long term winner. You must objectively seek out games in which you do have an edge, and avoid games in which you do not.
• That said, it may still be correct occasionally to sit in a game that you can't beat, due to the presence of a few excellent players in the game. You are doing this for educational purposes, as you will spend your time in this game observing everything the experts do, so that you can replicate it in your own play. Just Don't do this at a limit you cannot afford.
• It's okay to play with great players, as long as bad ones are present. In limit hold'em, the amount of money you lose to players who are better than you is much smaller than the amount you win from very poor players. This is true, of course, only if you are at least a fairly good player. So, Don't be afraid to sit in a game with a few players whom you identify as being extremely skillful, if some poor players are there as well. Most of your profit will come from these bad players. Also, the experts will likely stay out of your way most of the time, allowing you to play mainly against the live ones*. You are much better off in this type of game than in one in which every player is fairly good, although none is exceptional.