Where to sit relative to player types

I've heard some conflicting advice about this and want to see what most people think:

Where do you want to sit at a table relative to some of the classic poker player types? Specifically with the common styles seen at lots of low-limit tables: Maniacs (super loose-aggressive), Mice (tight-passive), Fishes (loose-passive), and Sharks (solid, tight-aggressive). Ideally, if you had your way and could join a table with one/some/all of these types playing, would you want to sit to their left or right ... and why? Thanks!

fish and maniacs to my right, nits to my left, regs on the other side of the table or not at the table at all.

This is a great topic - table selecting is an under-rated and under-discussed skill. The numbers are for HUD users.

Below is just off the top of my head. There's a great set of discussions on player types from dsvw56, here's a link to one of them, definitely check these out, extremely good stuff:

https://www.cardschat.com/forum/cash-games-11/exploiting-your-opponents-part-2-nits-148007/

I like to have tight passives (say 12/2/2) or tight aggressives (say 17/15/3) in the two seats to my left so I can steal their blinds. They also won't surprise you very much when you're out of position against them.

I want to have wet noodles (limp a lot preflop, raise occasionally, say 22/4/2) on my right so I can raise their flop limps and float them postflop. You can float TAGs as well.

I want to have maniacs (plays a lot of hands, raises a lot preflop, plays aggressively postflop, say 35/28/5) on my right so I can decide which pots to play, and to pick off their excessively aggressive postflop bets.

Pure fish (35/2/whatever) are welcome everywhere on my tables, because they're clueless. Value betting these guys, since they don't know how to value hands or read hands properly, is generally very profitable.

I want smart TAGs (20/18/2) and smart LAGs (25/22/2) on the opposite side of the table from me. Actually, I want them sitting at a different table. When I'm table selecting, if I see a table full of these guys, I close the table as quickly as possible - if there's nobody with a VPIP over 30, I look for another table (I play 6max, all the numbers need to be adjusted down for full ring).

Note that regs table select for similar conditions - sort tables by average pot size and players/flop (on Pokerstars), choose highest values for both. Eventually all the regs end up on waiting lists for the prime tables - meaning that as the fish get wiped out and leave, regs replace them - so over time, the table that was prime becomes a table to avoid. Leaving tables as they become shark infested is important.

All playing styles have weaknesses - learning how to exploit those weaknesses in position and out of position is key to improving.

I want smart TAGs (20/18/2) and smart LAGs (25/22/2) on the opposite side of the table from me. Actually, I want them sitting at a different table. When I'm table selecting, if I see a table full of these guys, I close the table as quickly as possible - if there's nobody with a VPIP over 30, I look for another table (I play 6max, all the numbers need to be adjusted down for full ring).

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Oh so you would not want me at your table .... were would you have the tricker's, and trappers at ? say the tricker bets on a low card, but has a high card... And the trapper leads you in to a full house, or trips...

kidkvno1 said:

Oh so you would not want me at your table .... were would you have the tricker's, and trappers at ? say the tricker bets on a low card, but has a high card... And the trapper leads you in to a full house, or trips...

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Yes, I don't make a point of making a lot of plays against members of this forum, for example... Too much work, easier pickin's elsewhere...

I want position on anyone tricky, so always on my right. Boring nitty players are who I want on my left. As an example, if I make a flop bet out of position and the player with position raises, decision making is easier if the guy making the raise is a nit who never raises without the near nuts than if the guy making the raise could be drawing or bluffing. Stealing is easier against nits as well.

Aggressive types to your right, preferably immediately to your right, so that you can win a lot against him when you have monster hands, and you don't have to worry about reraises if he folds. Conservatives to your left to pick up blinds.

fish/maniacs: right > left > across > gone
nits: left > gone/across/right (not sure about order on last 3 just because they're so close to the same, you likely won't be playing pots with them no matter where they are or if they're not there at all)
aggro solid regs: gone > across > right > left

zachvac said:

maniacs: left > across

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Really? Definitely applies to fish and you definitely want them on your right but isn't it hard playing playing pots out of position? Or does the times you have the button on them compensate for this?

WurlyQ said:

Really? Definitely applies to fish and you definitely want them on your right but isn't it hard playing playing pots out of position? Or does the times you have the button on them compensate for this?

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Well by maniacs I was referring to fish not just extremely aggro good players, so that means they will be making a lot of mistakes. I want to be playing a lot of pots against people who make a lot of mistakes whether they're in or out of position.

A good rule of thumb is to just sit to the left of whoever you want to play the most pots against. That way whenever they are in, you can opt to join the pot or not, rather than getting in the pot and then seeing the fish/maniac/donk fold, followed by a raise from a better player.

Nits/rocks on your left is also good. Because they don't play many pots, you won't need to factor them being in the pot very often and can play as if they aren't even there (until they raise that is!).

The only thing i hate, is you can't pick your sitting at a MTTs and Sit&gos

Bump

No particular place where you have to sit at the table. This type depending on your strategy. I mostly play aggressively in the big blind, although perhaps only I fall a good hand at this point

you want position on aggro players
lags and also fishes but passive fish doesnt matter as much

passive players its not too important because they are usually calling stations or fold too much

abc they wont get too fancy so it doesnt matter