Game improving or making money?

[Noose]

Status: For those who didn't read my first thread in the Psychology forum, I play poker professionally and do it by multitabling mainly 1/2 NL tables.

Lately I've been finding myself in a difficult situation. I've been multitabling seven short-handed tables at a time and I seem to keep up with them, but the problem is that does that improve my game, at all?

I see myself making a ton of money, but the state of my game is what I'm more worried about. I know that I can beat this level quite easily, but moving up to the next limit is another thing then. I've been making occasional stabs to good tables to 2/4 and 3/6 - been making money, but against weak opposition. I know that I could play against tougher guys, but hey - who wants to play against tougher opposition when there's easy money to get?

I made couple of stabs over a week ago to 5/10 NL and before that I decided that I'd fall maximum five stacks in seeing how well I fare against these guys. Well, first I was running hot and got up over three stacks - but quickly came down five stacks and my final result from 5/10 stabbing was -2.5k.

Against 5/10 players I - of course - realized that the game is tougher, but beatable. I realized that I a) need to improve my game b) play longer in 5/10 to really find out where I really stand.

The problem is, that should my focus now be on making pure bucks by multitabling millions of tables or improving my game so that I could later on reap what I have sowed? Sounds stupid to be asked like that, but for me 10k/month is real big money and I really wouldn't like to throw it off the window - just in case I couldn't match with the tougher guys down the line.

I'm fairly confident that I could beat the next level - not to mention 5/10 - but I really can not be sure about it. The difference between 1/2 and 2/4 in the place that I play in is really huge, and the basic style of play that I use in 1/2 just can't be as nearly as winning in 2/4 (or above that level) as it is in 1/2.

Few options that I've got here (and my opinion of EV's):

a) Continue seven-tabling the 1/2 and making a lot of money. Bankroll-wise +EV.
b) Continue in 1/2 and make occasional stabs in bigger limits - but don't play more than five tables at a time in order to improve the quality of play. Bankroll-wise +-EV.
c) Move up to 2/4 and reduce tables to three or four. Bankroll-wise -EV.
d) Move up to and concentrate on two tables at a time and analyze every hand perfectly. Bankroll-wise -EV.

[TStoneMBD]

my advice to you is that until you start making $50/hr playing poker, spend your time studying and dont worry so much about playing. if you really want to make money you must think long term.

[vexvelour]

Wow, seven tables at a time. I can't handle 2.

[bkholdem]

consider doing both. Do something like spend 1 hr/day playing the higher stakes and a couple hours/week at analysis of your game as it relates to the higher stakes, along with an improvement plan for yourself.