I have a tight schedule so I can only play live very few times per week and so when I am there I like to get the most value I can (especially given the high frequency of nits and ridiculous rake)

To do so, I will change tables quite often, perhaps 3,4, 5 times in one session if I think the games are just that bad.

There is no written rule that I know of, there were a couple of instances in which they verbally refused me, the casino staff pretty much recognize me as a reg, so they've begun giving me a bit of a tougher time.

I've asked multiple staff and dealers and they all just give me the same response, that it's not against the rules, they just think it's silly. If I'm stuck in an awful game (and there are a lot of them) I don't want to sit there and play with 6 nits with sunglasses and hoodies for hours.

Thoughts? Am I really executing poor etiquette here? Keep in mind 99% of the time I am NOT affecting the table balance, it's a very popular casino with many tables running during the day, so I'm not causing any tables to break.

You play $1/$2; there should never be a need or a reason to table change 3, 4, or 5 times in one session. One table change I could understand; even perhaps two on rare occasions. But never more than that and never very often.

If you're having that much difficulty finding a "good" $1/$2 table, I suggest that the problem may be with you and not the table(s).

In a well-run cardroom, your table change should not affect the table balance because they shouldn't give you one until it can be done without affecting the balance (I'm obviously not talking about must move tables).

You should be allowed to change as often as you like. It's only silly if you're doing it to get away from an "unlucky" dealer who "always kills me." But if you're a regular you should be able to look at who's on the other tables and decide which tables have the most "fun" players and specifically request a change to one of those. That may cut down on the floor staff's annoyance a little.

I generally see rules that table changes are at the discretion of the floor.

Constant table changes is a pita for the staff and often bothers other players.
Worse in rooms that don't require players to post at the new table there is a certain sort of player who uses table changes as a way to dodge the blinds. I would say that my experience is that the players who are constantly table changing are almost always nits dodging blinds.

In rooms where players are allowed to take money out of play on a table change the staff may view you as abusing table changes for the purpose of ratholing.

Thats not to say the staff doesn;t think there are legitimate reasons to table change .... just that the players who are constantly table changing are generally doing it for other reasons and create an unnecessary problem for the staff. I have heard many players complain about other players who are constantly table changing.

I would suggest that if you are really just seeking a better game that you scout the games ahead of time and instead of going table to table ... figure out which table you want to be at ahead of time and take that table change.

The composition of every 1/2 table I've ever played at changes constantly. Don't like the table? Wait 20 minutes and it will be just like you changed tables and you haven't annoyed anyone.

Bingo.

This is an odd justification that you "only" play a few times a week. A few times a week playing poker is a lot!! I would guess the typical nonprofessional player plays maybe twice a month. Even 500 hours/year, which I think would qualify as semi-professional, is only one eight-hour session per week.

It's not against the rules and I wouldn't go so far to say it is an angleshoot, but it does fall along the lines of "tapping on the glass". If you are seen constantly moving tables based on their composition, the players at the table you move to will realize you are essentially targeting them, and this may make them feel uncomfortable.

I think what would be reasonable is that when you start your session, if it doesn't look like your table will be good, after a few orbits quietly identify one or two tables you would like to move to and tell the floor you'd like to move when a seat opens up at those tables. I think one move in a session would not be unreasonable and would not look like targeting.

Or if you can easily identify the bad tables based on "hoodie and headphones", just decline an assignment to that table and stay on the wait list until a seat opens up at a better one.

3-5 table changes in a 2 hour session is excessive.

In a 12 hour session, it isn't so bad.

If you get a change from Table 13 to Table 42, is Table 42 that much better? If not, don't change. If it is, and it gets a lot worse in 30 minutes after you move there, what might be the cause?

It's nice that you get to play in a room where you can make that many changes .. How many tables do you get to choose from? How long are your sessions? How long does it take to decide if you need to change again?

I would do some scouting for sure or maybe even have the Floor do some scouting for you ... at a price?

I would also assume that the regs in the room see what you are doing 'all the time'. How do they receive you?

I don't typically changes tables, perhaps out of pride more than anything. But if my first table is all short stacks or Nitty I will talk to the Floor and pick out a table or two that I might want in on.

Don't fret, it's your time and you are the customer. Does it put a target on you? Maybe, but nothing you probably can't handle. GL

Yeah if there are 80% of bad tables maybe not sit down at all....? Seems like a bad idea. If you do decide you want to get a spot at the "good" table just make clear you prefer one table and refuse seats until a seat opens at that particular table. It takes you longer to sit down but you don't really make any money at the other tables anyways so you're less of a pain in the ass to everyone while also not costing yourself any money.

This. Just pay attention and play better.

Does this really matter that much at 1-2 or 1-3 casino tables most of the time? Maybe it does somewhere , IDK for certain, but I would think the majority of players are about the same and the turnover is constant too. Especially on weekends. I would think table selection would be more important at somewhat higher stakes.

So , OP , I don't consider it wrong at all, but maybe just not all that effective much of the time.

I disagree. People hopping around from table to table are highly annoying.

I can't remember ever seeing a table hopper that would be good for any game. It's almost always the same way. Guy comes over from another game, doesn't play a single hand in his first 10-20 minutes at the table, yells for another table change and then complains about the table being too nitty. It's almost like people think they are entitled to having others at their table create action for them.

Couple other notes: There's usually around 20 tables, I'm not saying I change tables on average 5 times per session, I average 2-3 per 6-8 hour session I would say. I just became concerned because it seemed like I was irritating staff members at the casino that I frequent.

I also have absolutely no concern for having players think I'm targeting them, I just don't think this crosses the mind of the fish who know me well, and I have friendly relationships with them anyways.

I think the best thing I can take away is to put my name on the waitlist for 2-3 promising tables, rather than taking my chance at a random table that could even be worse than the one I am attempting to escape.

And I understand 1/2 is very soft, but it's not uncommon to play full ring with 6 short stacking nits, I just don't want to play when there's 2 players playing 50BB+ and I'm one of them.

Very annoying, but perfectly allowable. Just because I don't like it doesn't mean someone shouldn't be allowed to do it.

I'm unclear what you are looking for in a table. 1/2 games typically have a bunch of shortstacking nits, but these are rarely the "hoodie and sunglasses" players, who in my experience usually buy in for the the max. If you just want to avoid shortstackers, it should be extremely easy to identify which tables to avoid and you can do this in advance.

Edit: Actually, at 1/2, I would distinguish between players wearing hoodies and players wearing sunglass. In my experience, players wearing sunglasses in a 1/2 game are usually enormous fish.

I also think the concern that players feel targeted is being overblown. I've never really sensed that at a table.

However players often feel constant table changing is both antisocial and disruptive to the game.

I assume this is allowed, but at the discretion of the floor. I'm sure it's annoying to them because every time you want to table change you have to talk with them, and take time they could be attending to something else. So, I could see they'd be annoyed, especially if you're changing many times in a session.

2-3 times in a 6-8 hour session seems fine. 4-5 seems excessive. Don't think there's a hard line. If you're likable/tip the floor every so often, I'm sure the floor will be less annoyed.

with the assumption that a table isn't bad/lacks action, I tend to be the opposite of changing tables. I invest a lot of time to set an image to be able to capitalize later in the session that moving defeats the purpose of playing super nity for x amount of time. It's the main reason why I hate having my table break and having to go to a new table late in a session.

Yes, this certainly has played a factor, as well ...although if the table is on the bad end of what I explained then I think there is very little value. But I've certainly been opposed to a table change if I had thought that my image could be more beneficial, sometimes regardless of table quality.

I don't understand this mindset at all. If a behavior is "very annoying" then why should it be allowable? You say that as if nobody has the power to disallow it. Like, "Oh well, we're stuck living with this very annoying behavior. Nothing we can possibly do to change things."

im rly rly good at 2/5 and 5/10 and i basically never change tables, if i seat change its generally to see the TV. live games are not hard, some tables can be bad, but if ur the best or at least top 2 at the table it doesnt matter really. also people will come and go and change the dynamic without have to tbl change yourself.

From experience, I can tell you that the casino isn't giving you a "tough time" because you are a reg. They are giving you a tough time because you are a pain.

I will echo what has already been said. Stop blindly changing tables. Scope out the games beforehand and figure out which tables you want. Or just give it time. 1/2 tables are going to see a high amount of turnover.

There are some cardroom policies that lead to annoying behavior. For example, some places allow a player to request new cards every hour or every other hour, regardless of whether there is anything physically wrong with the deck. I used to gripe about it, then I matured. Players who think a particular collection of 52 pieces of paper and plastic are what's causing their problem are players you want to keep happy.

With the tables changes, if it's a good player then you'd rather have him at another table anyway. If it's a bad player you'd prefer that he remain, but more importantly you want him to be happy, even if it involves a table change so he has a good experience and keeps coming back.

do you have a 2/5 game? Play higher if you want stacks deeper. What do you really expect from 1/2?

The players who I see that are habitual table hoppers are usually the biggest fish in the room. I'm not directly saying you a fish, just saying.