Playing multiple tables simultaneously

[Peski]

I've seen several references on these boards to 4-table or 8-table or similar when discussing hands played per hour.

I've been playing online about a year, and up to now find even 2-table a little stressful. I admit that I've probably played way to many cards until recently.

What's the strategy for playing that many tables at once? Are particular sites/sw/hw recommended?
Are there articles/posts available on this topic?

Thanks,
Peski

[bholdr]

be patient and take it slow. maybe move down a limit. start with two, then three, keep going till your monitoor's maxed out. Eventually you'll be amazed that one table could ever hold your attention. I play four, and sometimes i'm still bored to tears if i'm grinding low limits. i listen to music, watch TV, surf 2+2 (i'm playing 3 tables right now), call my frreinds, etc, etc.

multitabling may actually help you if you're playing too lose, simply because it's easier to chuck marginal cards when you're in another hand already, though it's no substitute for real discipline.

Don't multitable if you're not a winning player, you'll just lose faster.

[Isura]

Don't start to multi-table until you can beat your game by a lot.

[TripleH68]

I have been playing just over one year and two table while surfing 2+2. Making preflop decisions quickly helps.

[Slim Pickens]

Learn to play one table with all the animation off. It will distract you less when you start to multitable.

Slim

[daveymck]

There are a number of posters on here who cant multitable, for whatever reason, it may just be you are one of them.

If your tables are overlapping that probably adds to your stress ideally you need a monitor that can display both tables at one (the dell FP2011 as an example can display 4 without overlap). After that just gently build up to it, maybe open one table play till you feel comfortable on it then open the second one and build from there.

PLayerview (of gametime+) linked to poker tracker can help as well.

Basically it comes down to getting experienced, staying calm and taking your time, feeling rushed can mean you start clicking without thinking, you have pleanty of time even when hands are going on both tables to take 4 or 5 seconds to make your decision.

[SheridanCat]

[ QUOTE ]

What's the strategy for playing that many tables at once? Are particular sites/sw/hw recommended?
Are there articles/posts available on this topic?


[/ QUOTE ]

I'm sure you'll find posts on this in the Internet Forum.

As for suggestions, I suggest you get a monitor that can handle 1600x1200 screen resolution and set it to that. Since the major sites have tables that are 800x600 this allows you to put your tables up with no overlap. I was only able to 2-table until I got a monitor like this. Even 2-table, the overlap can be annoying.

Good luck,

T

[aron]

On advice from my poker coach I started multitabling after my first week of on-line poker (just to get more experience).
Two tables was really stressful at the beginning but after only two days or so I tried playing three.
At the moment I play four, would try five if I had another screen.
I find it great in the way that you don't get bored and start playing junk hands just because you want some action. My only advice would be to start adding one table at a time and see if you can get used to it.

It worked well for me.
-aron

[aargh57]

[ QUOTE ]
be patient and take it slow. maybe move down a limit. start with two, then three, keep going till your monitoor's maxed out. Eventually you'll be amazed that one table could ever hold your attention. I play four, and sometimes i'm still bored to tears if i'm grinding low limits. i listen to music, watch TV, surf 2+2 (i'm playing 3 tables right now), call my frreinds, etc, etc.



[/ QUOTE ]

I always feel guilty when I do other stuff like that. I only play one table but am planning on starting with 2 next week. I thought that I wouldn't be as bored so I would quite surfing as much but maybe it doesn't hurt me that bad. Don't you think that has an effect on your game. (Not criticizing, like I said I do it too.) I have notes on the tight and/or good regulars in my games but the things I miss when doing this is the general texture of the game. Anyway, maybe its not that big a deal. Is this a habit I should definitely try to break or not?

[Peski]

I'll definitly try the "disable animations" trick, and look into a high res monitor.

My monitor is good, but max 1280x1024, which means overlap with 2 games.


Thanks again!

[deacsoft]

Don't take this personally, but I highly doubt that you're ready to multi-table. Just keep playing 1 table and learning everything you need to make you a long term winner. You'll thank me in a few months.

[BLACKBOAT]

I only lost money until I started multitabling. Multitabling taught me the patience to wait for the better starting hands. I read a thread the other day about % of flops seen. Is it possible your playing too many hands because its very seldom I have a hand to play out at even 3 of 4 tables. I believe the percentage was around a suggested 17%. Any expert advice someone can add on this angle?

[keikiwai]

I find that multitablig different game types helps. For example I usually play microLHE. If I feel like I'm getting bored w/ one table I open up a SNG. I find this stresses me out less than having 2 LHE tables open, since they're somehow different type of thought processes, and you're usually not doing much for the first few levels in SNG anyway....

some sites (I play a prima network) have mini views. I can fit 6 tables on my laptop screen (1400 x 1050) w/o any overlap. Not that I'd ever played that many...

I found that trying to multi table really shows where you're weak, since you notice the extra few seconds it takes to make certain decisions, as opposed to when you're just playing one table.

For example I have problems deciding when to raise certain hands preflop, and calculating odds fast enough for non obvious flops (overcards only, etc.).

anyway good luck! It can be fun to move down a level or two and try multi tabling there, you'll be amazed at how little stress it is, since your bank roll is 2 to 4+ times what you need.

Peter.

[BLACKBOAT]

Sorry my bad. 25% Flops seen was the suggestion. Less than 17 would be VPIP.

[webmonarch]

I currently play 4 tables at once at extrememly low limits .05/.10. I do this because I deposited $50, and I want that to be the last money I have to put into my account.

I struggled with multi-tabling UNTIL I tightened up considerably. The only reason it's hard to multitable is when you're playing hands on all tables. By playing 4 tables, and seeing about 25% of flops total, I am usually playing only one hand at a time. The one or two occasions per session where I have to handle three tables are not too bad.

The other advice here is good. Start with two, WIN LONG TERM, move to three, WIN LONG TERM, etc.

This is probably obvious, but multitabling at Limit "X" may be appropriate, while multitabling at higher Limit "Y" may not be (and will likely lead to serious losses quickly).

[Peski]

No offense, you could well be right.

I'm currently reading LLHE by Sklansky, and finding a wealth of knowlege that I'm eager to apply. The tough thing is real world application of what I'm learning.

I think I will take the advice of some who've posted here and (1) drop down a level or two in limit (to .25/.50 or less from .50/1 & 1/2) and 2-table to play as many hands as possible to gain experience. 2-table at the micro-limits is not big exposure, and I definitely need to (1) play fewer hands (2) play more agressively after the flop.

[bholdr]

It absolutely has a negitive effect on my game. however, at the limits that i play at: 1/2 and 2/4, the other players are so terrible that it doesn't really amtter.

Now, if one is four tabling 15/30, they better be concentrating as hard as they possibly can, otherwise they WILL lose.

If you're willing and ble to dedicate 100% of your concentration to your game, then you should, but, fo r me and my limits, the extra two bucks or so an hour that i'd make aren't worth it.

GL.