Table Selection: "Would you like the main table?"

I was playing in a no-limit cash game at Tulalip (which is a beautiful Indian casino with a huge non-smoking poker room) tonight, and the floor manager kept coming over and asking if I wanted to move to the main table. Every time, I said no, and my best opponent at the table would get up and move, leaving me alone with the fish.

This is something I just don’t understand– it’s horrible table selection. The “main table” in this case is filled with professionals who’ve been there all day, whereas the table I was at had much less experienced players… in short, dead money. Why on earth would you want to move? But time and time again, the opponent I most wanted to see go would get up and head over to the main table.

I’m glad, but it still makes no sense to me. I’m not complaining– it was a great night for me– I made more in 4 hours of play than the rest of the week combined, main table be damned.