diff --git a/examples/SQLOptimizer-runtime.ts b/examples/SQLOptimizer-runtime.ts
index 1835a38..5022612 100644
--- a/examples/SQLOptimizer-runtime.ts
+++ b/examples/SQLOptimizer-runtime.ts
@@ -66,11 +66,11 @@ function parseSQL(sql: string): SQLParts {
   }
 
   // Extract WHERE
-  const whereMatch = s.match(/\bWHERE\s+(.+?)(?:\s+GROUP\s+BY\b|\s+ORDER\s+BY\b|\s+LIMIT\b|\s*$)/i);
+  const whereMatch = s.match(/\bWHERE\s+(.+?)(?:\s+GROUP\s+BY\b|\s+HAVING\b|\s+ORDER\s+BY\b|\s+LIMIT\b|\s*$)/i);
   const where = whereMatch ? whereMatch[1].trim() : '';
 
-  // Extract GROUP BY
-  const groupMatch = s.match(/\bGROUP\s+BY\s+(.+?)(?:\s+ORDER\s+BY\b|\s+LIMIT\b|\s*$)/i);
+  // Extract GROUP BY (stop before HAVING)
+  const groupMatch = s.match(/\bGROUP\s+BY\s+(.+?)(?:\s+HAVING\b|\s+ORDER\s+BY\b|\s+LIMIT\b|\s*$)/i);
   const groupBy = groupMatch ? groupMatch[1].trim() : '';
 
   // Extract ORDER BY
@@ -207,50 +207,77 @@ export function pushDownFilters(tree: PlanTree): PlanTree {
   const nodes = { ...tree.nodes };
   let root = tree.root;
 
-  // Find Filter nodes directly above Join nodes and push predicates to the correct side
+  // Split AND predicates into individual conditions, push each to the correct side
   function pushDown(nodeId: string): string {
     const node = nodes[nodeId];
     if (!node) return nodeId;
 
-    // Recurse into children
+    // Recurse into children first
     node.children = node.children.map(pushDown);
 
     if (node.op === 'Filter' && nodes[node.children[0]]?.op === 'Join') {
       const joinNode = nodes[node.children[0]];
       const predicate = node.predicate || '';
 
-      // Check which side the predicate references
+      // Split AND predicates
+      const conjuncts = predicate.split(/\s+AND\s+/i).map((s: string) => s.trim()).filter(Boolean);
+
       const leftTable = nodes[joinNode.leftChild!]?.table ?? '';
       const rightTable = nodes[joinNode.rightChild!]?.table ?? '';
-      const predCols = extractColumnRefs(predicate);
 
-      const onlyLeft = predCols.every(c => c.startsWith(leftTable + '.') || !c.includes('.'));
-      const onlyRight = predCols.every(c => c.startsWith(rightTable + '.') || !c.includes('.'));
+      const leftPreds: string[] = [];
+      const rightPreds: string[] = [];
+      const remainingPreds: string[] = [];
 
-      if (onlyLeft && joinNode.leftChild) {
-        // Push filter to left child
+      for (const pred of conjuncts) {
+        const refs = extractColumnRefs(pred);
+        const onlyLeft = refs.length === 0 || refs.every(c => c.startsWith(leftTable + '.') || !c.includes('.'));
+        const onlyRight = refs.length === 0 || refs.every(c => c.startsWith(rightTable + '.') || !c.includes('.'));
+
+        if (onlyLeft && !onlyRight) {
+          leftPreds.push(pred);
+        } else if (onlyRight && !onlyLeft) {
+          rightPreds.push(pred);
+        } else {
+          remainingPreds.push(pred);
+        }
+      }
+
+      let currentRoot = joinNode.id;
+
+      // Push left-side predicates below the join's left child
+      if (leftPreds.length > 0 && joinNode.leftChild) {
         const filterId = nextId('filter');
         nodes[filterId] = {
-          id: filterId, op: 'Filter', predicate,
+          id: filterId, op: 'Filter', predicate: leftPreds.join(' AND '),
           estimatedRows: Math.ceil(nodes[joinNode.leftChild].estimatedRows * 0.3),
           children: [joinNode.leftChild]
         };
         joinNode.leftChild = filterId;
         joinNode.children = [filterId, joinNode.rightChild!];
-        joinNode.estimatedRows = Math.ceil(joinNode.estimatedRows * 0.7);
-        return joinNode.id;
-      } else if (onlyRight && joinNode.rightChild) {
-        // Push filter to right child
+        joinNode.estimatedRows = Math.ceil(joinNode.estimatedRows * 0.5);
+      }
+
+      // Push right-side predicates below the join's right child
+      if (rightPreds.length > 0 && joinNode.rightChild) {
         const filterId = nextId('filter');
         nodes[filterId] = {
-          id: filterId, op: 'Filter', predicate,
+          id: filterId, op: 'Filter', predicate: rightPreds.join(' AND '),
           estimatedRows: Math.ceil(nodes[joinNode.rightChild].estimatedRows * 0.3),
           children: [joinNode.rightChild]
         };
         joinNode.rightChild = filterId;
         joinNode.children = [joinNode.leftChild!, filterId];
-        joinNode.estimatedRows = Math.ceil(joinNode.estimatedRows * 0.7);
+        joinNode.estimatedRows = Math.ceil(joinNode.estimatedRows * 0.3);
+      }
+
+      // If we pushed everything, replace the Filter with the Join
+      if (remainingPreds.length === 0) {
         return joinNode.id;
+      } else {
+        // Keep remaining predicates as a Filter above the Join
+        node.predicate = remainingPreds.join(' AND ');
+        node.estimatedRows = Math.ceil(joinNode.estimatedRows * 0.3);
       }
     }
 
@@ -270,10 +297,16 @@ export function foldConstants(tree: PlanTree): PlanTree {
     node.children.forEach(fold);
 
     if (node.op === 'Filter' && node.predicate) {
-      node.predicate = node.predicate
-        .replace(/\b(\d+)\s*\+\s*(\d+)\b/g, (_, a, b) => String(Number(a) + Number(b)))
-        .replace(/\b(\d+)\s*-\s*(\d+)\b/g, (_, a, b) => String(Number(a) - Number(b)))
-        .replace(/\b(\d+)\s*\*\s*(\d+)\b/g, (_, a, b) => String(Number(a) * Number(b)));
+      // Constant-fold arithmetic, but NOT inside string literals or date literals
+      const parts = node.predicate.split(/(')/);
+      for (let i = 0; i < parts.length; i++) {
+        if (i % 2 === 0) { // outside quotes
+          parts[i] = parts[i]
+            .replace(/\b(\d+)\s*\+\s*(\d+)\b/g, (_, a, b) => String(Number(a) + Number(b)))
+            .replace(/\b(\d+)\s*\*\s*(\d+)\b/g, (_, a, b) => String(Number(a) * Number(b)));
+        }
+      }
+      node.predicate = parts.join('');
     }
   }
 
@@ -345,10 +378,10 @@ export function choosePhysicalOperators(tree: PlanTree, stats: Record<string, Ta
 
       if (leftRows > 10000 || rightRows > 10000) {
         node.joinType = 'hash';
-      } else if (leftRows < 100 || rightRows < 100) {
+      } else if (leftRows < 100 && rightRows < 100) {
         node.joinType = 'nested_loop';
       } else {
-        node.joinType = 'merge';
+        node.joinType = 'hash';
       }
     }
 
@@ -427,13 +460,43 @@ export function generateSQL(nodes: Record<string, PlanNode>, rootId: string): st
   let orderBy = '';
   let limit = '';
 
+  // Pass 1: collect which tables appear in JOINs, and identify the leftmost table
+  // The leftmost table goes in FROM; everything else appears via JOIN
+  const joinedAsRight = new Set<string>();  // tables on the right side of a JOIN
+  const leftmostJoinTable = new Set<string>();  // tables on the left side of a JOIN
+  function collectJoinTables(nid: string): void {
+    const n = nodes[nid];
+    if (!n) return;
+    n.children.forEach(collectJoinTables);
+    if (n.op === 'Join') {
+      if (n.rightChild) {
+        let cur = n.rightChild;
+        while (nodes[cur] && !nodes[cur].table && nodes[cur].children.length > 0) cur = nodes[cur].children[0];
+        if (nodes[cur]?.table) joinedAsRight.add(nodes[cur].table.replace(/ \/\*.*\*\//, ''));
+      }
+      if (n.leftChild) {
+        let cur = n.leftChild;
+        while (nodes[cur] && !nodes[cur].table && nodes[cur].children.length > 0) cur = nodes[cur].children[0];
+        if (nodes[cur]?.table) leftmostJoinTable.add(nodes[cur].table.replace(/ \/\*.*\*\//, ''));
+      }
+    }
+  }
+  collectJoinTables(rootId);
+
+  // Pass 2: generate SQL
   function walk(nid: string): void {
     const n = nodes[nid];
     if (!n) return;
 
     switch (n.op) {
       case 'Scan':
-        if (n.table) fromTables.push(n.table);
+        if (n.table) {
+          const cleanName = n.table.replace(/ \/\*.*\*\//, '');
+          // Only add to FROM if not appearing as right side of a JOIN
+          if (!joinedAsRight.has(cleanName)) {
+            fromTables.push(cleanName);
+          }
+        }
         break;
       case 'Filter':
         if (where) {
@@ -444,8 +507,19 @@ export function generateSQL(nodes: Record<string, PlanNode>, rootId: string): st
         break;
       case 'Join': {
         const jt = n.joinType === 'hash' ? 'INNER' : n.joinType === 'nested_loop' ? 'INNER' : (n.joinType?.toUpperCase() ?? 'INNER');
-        const rt = nodes[n.rightChild!]?.table ?? 'unknown';
-        const lt = nodes[n.leftChild!]?.table ?? 'unknown';
+        const resolveTable = (nid: string | undefined): string => {
+          if (!nid) return 'unknown';
+          const nd = nodes[nid];
+          if (!nd) return 'unknown';
+          if (nd.table) return nd.table.replace(/ \/\*.*\*\//, '');
+          for (const cid of nd.children) {
+            const t = resolveTable(cid);
+            if (t !== 'unknown') return t;
+          }
+          return 'unknown';
+        };
+        const rt = resolveTable(n.rightChild);
+        const lt = resolveTable(n.leftChild);
         const onClause = n.onClause ?? `${rt}.id = ${lt}.id`;
         joins.push(`${jt} JOIN ${rt} ON ${onClause}`);
         if (n.leftChild) walk(n.leftChild);
@@ -477,7 +551,7 @@ export function generateSQL(nodes: Record<string, PlanNode>, rootId: string): st
 
   walk(rootId);
 
-  let sql = `SELECT ${select} FROM ${fromTables.join(', ')}`;
+  let sql = `SELECT ${select} FROM ${[...new Set(fromTables)].join(', ')}`;
   if (joins.length > 0) sql += ' ' + joins.join(' ');
   if (where) sql += ` WHERE ${where}`;
   if (groupBy) sql += ` GROUP BY ${groupBy}`;