OK, here's the deal with multi-tabling

[Irieguy]

I'm seeing a lot of recent discussion about multitabling... some of it started by me as I'm interested in some expert opinions before I blow a chuck of change on a monitor that will let me play more than 8 screens. I will now post for the single-tablers what I wish some 12-tablers would post for me:

1. Playing 4 tables is no more difficult than playing 1 table if you are an experienced SNG player (more than 1000 SNGs as a winner). My ROI is much, much higher playing 4-8 tables than it was playing one or two. This is because I've gotten better, not because it's somehow easier to play more tables.

2. If the concept of playing 4-8 tables seems ludicrous to you, that's perfectly fine. It just means that you need a lot more experience before you try it. There's nothing wrong with that.

3. If a professional chef told me he could prepare an 8-course meal for 20 people in two hours, I wouldn't think he was a liar just because I can make a mean chicken-cheese spaghetti. I would think that he was a professional chef and assume that my inability to do the same may have something to do with the fact that I have not spent as much time learning to cook as he has.

4. Adding tables is better than moving up in limits.

5. If somebody plopped you down in front of a computer screen and told you it was your turn to act in a SNG about which you knew absolutely nothing: it would take you 1-2 seconds to figure out what the limit and game was. It would take you 3-4 seconds to look at 9 opponents' chip stacks. It would take you a few seconds to assess your hand and your position. You should then be able to make a decision about what to do in a few seconds. That would leave you about 20 seconds before your 30 second time bank was even activated. This leaves you enough time to make the same tough decision on 3 other tables, make a sandwich, and post a thread.

Irieguy

[pshreck]

Great info as usual Irie.

I have a question for you, what sites are you using to multi table...

I currently 4 table at Empire, but I am looking to start 8 tabling. I would like to open up a Party account, but Party would see that its the same IP, playing at the same times.... and I have heard of several people on this site alone getting accounts frozen until they cancel one after getting caught with multiple party skin accounts....

I am so accustomed (and pretty succesful) at the Party SNGs... how do I solve this problem, what sites are similar, and am I just being a baby about opening up 2 party skin accounts? Is it really no big deal?

[spentrent]

Sorry, I'm not a 32 table expert, I'm just here to agree with you about 4 tables. /images/graemlins/cool.gif

I recently converted from single table play to four table play. The biggest surprise for me is that I feel ABSOLUTELY ZERO loss in my ability to get a read on my opponents.

In fact, the pace -- making a decision every 20 to 30 seconds in the first few levels -- has made it EASIER for me to get a read on players, since I've trained myself to identify and key on certain behaviors... quite like seeing the forest AND the trees.

I feel it's helping me build a better poker instinct in a shorter time. And that's all I'm really shooting for.

[pshreck]

I dont want to hijack your thread, because it is a really informing post. So Ill comment directly on your post some more with my knowledge of 4 tabling.

A huge benefit to switching to multi tabling is being able to quickly eliminate bad habits and at the same time forming new, better habits.

Before I multi tabled, I played Ax suited from EP and from late position basically no matter what, assuming no massive raise. I did this because I was bored, and wanted to get hands in. When I started to multitable, Ax suited is an autofold from EP. Same with AJ and KQ, hands that I used to play because I was 'bored' and I played them by habit.

When you play 4 tables, you dont need to play anything, you wont get bored. Youll get plenty of playable hands in a given hour of 4 tabling, so it is much easier to fold all those marginal hands that you used to play!

4 tabling is great for your poker game for this reason, you can really start forming the correct habits because these situations are popping up more often and you are getting used to doing the right thing.

Just my 2 cents.

[Irieguy]

You can sign up at a PP skin as long as you use a computer that doesn't have PP software or any PP cookies on it.

After that, you can play on as many PP skins at the same time as you want. It's no problem at all. You can't play at the same table, and they use different pools for their multis, so it's not an issue.

Irieguy

[serling]

Nice post, Irie, just reiterating about the comfort of 4 tables.

I've tried 8 tables (two monitors) but find the action gets hard to follow, I'm timing out (AA was folded), and I'm moving the mouse like I'm conducting an orchestra. I suspect with practice, I'd get used to this.

But if anyone is considering going from 1 to 2 or 4, I'd highly recommend it.

serling

[spentrent]

You are wise pshreck. My bad pre-flop habits melted away in my VERY FIRST four table session!

I feel like an evangelist. Allah akbar, play four tables!

[Jman28]

I bought a second monitor and went to 8 tables after playing 4 for 4-5 months. It nearly cut my ROI in half, making it not worth it.

I dropped to 6 tables and I'm fine with it.

I expect to move up to 8 in a month or two.

-Jman28

[hhboy77]

man. reading this post made me feel even dumber than i felt before.

i am a single tabler and am at over 1000 sng's with an roi on the order of 25% in the 50/100 level. twice, i've switched to two tabling. the first time, my roi was about 4% over the course of two weeks. the second time, i don't know what my roi was, but i do know i went through the worst streak i've ever been through. i dropped 2000 (half my bankroll) dollars in the course of a week, and am back to 1-tabling for now.

i expect to try and double up again when i replenish my bankroll, but i have to say i'm a bit nervous. with all the posts of how great multitabling is (and it is great) i thought i'd share my sad story.

[lorinda]

Some possible help setting up second Party account. (http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=inet&Number=1172292&Forum= f14&Words=%2Bclose%20%2Bparty%20%2Baccount&Searchp age=0&Limit=25&Main=1172292&Search=true&where=body sub&Name=&daterange=1&newerval=1&newertype=w&older val=&oldertype=&bodyprev=#Post1172292)

Lots of info in that thread.

Lori

[Vince Lepore]

If you sign up at a skin you get part of the juice back for every SNG right? how much you get back? Thanks.

[Daliman]

Well, Vince, you'd have to sign up under an affiliate who pays cash back, as it's not automatic. Not that you'll ever find this out, as I am one of the myriad people on your ignore list.

[rybones]

before the questions, I will let you know I generally play the 10 and 20 games at poker stars.

1) do you start tables every 5 minutes? 10? 15? what is a good overlap?

2) do you keep notes? I ask this because I created a rule for myself that I would try to make one note for each player every game I play. when I have multi-tables before, I got so caught up in writing notes that I couldn't really focus on the action or reading players.This leads me to beleive that taking notes while multi-tabling is bad. That said, I really find the notes helpful when I run across someone for a second time. What balance do you all strike?

Thanks for your thoughts.

Ryan

[Irieguy]

It's important to resist the urge to link a bad run with any particular causative event.

Dropping 2K at the 50's/100's is something that is going to happen from time to time. I had close to a 2K downswing last month, and I was only playing 4 tables then. Now I'm playing 8 and doing better. But that doesn't mean that I should be afraid to drop back to 4 because I could lose 2K again.

If you've played 1000 SNGs with an ROI of 25%, then adding a single extra table will not hurt your results any appreciable amount. Maybe your ROI will drop a bit... but it won't make you an instant loser. Your results are much more likely to be an unfortunate coincidence than the result of a huge dropoff in quality of play. It's important to erase from your brain the notion that playing 2 tables hurts you. That kind of negative reinforcement will affect your decisions on the bubble... and that's what SNG poker is all about.

Good luck. I'm quite sure you'll be to successfully multi-table.

Irieguy

[chill888]

[ QUOTE ]


2) do you keep notes? I ask this because I created a rule for myself that I would try to make one note for each player every game I play. when I have multi-tables before, I got so caught up in writing notes that I couldn't really focus on the action or reading players.This leads me to beleive that taking notes while multi-tabling is bad. That said, I really find the notes helpful when I run across someone for a second time. What balance do you all strike?

Thanks for your thoughts.

Ryan

[/ QUOTE ]

I usually play 3 to four at a time. 5 overwhelms me but i only have 1 monitor.

I believe note taking is crucial to multitabling and do so religiously. I also try and put up table stats from Pokerstat or Pokertracker. Pokerstat for Paradise is particularly great as it automatically detects all seated players and gives their stats - no inputting.

I also read all my notes at the start of every game - this helps give a read before 1 hand is being dealt.


Yesterday, I folded QQs preflop mid tourney when too known great players came over the top of me and each other. They showed KK and AKs. Later I come over a reraise with JJ versus a known fool who goes nutes after any beat. Sure , just anecdotes but I change my play a LOT depending on what my trusty notes say. they often give me just that extra needed edge that allow more tables to be played.

Sperately, my worst multitabling habits - apart from drinking - is reading the forum or chatting too much - but hey, it helps to enjoy the game.

gl