Will multitabling be useful to beginner?

Walk before you run.

Crawl before you walk.

Play one table, then move on up as you feel more and more comfortable.

[pretender2k]

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Also with the low level of both myself and (at least some of) my opponents I'm not sure if I should be learning from them,

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The only thing you should be learning from most of these players is what mistakes they are making and learn not to make them yourself even if they are making money while making those mistakes that day.

All the money you make at the tables is profitting from your opponents mistakes. Learn those mistakes and take advantage of them.

[Equal]

Everyone is correct. One tabling is a MUST. If you're bored, it's because you aren't paying enough attention.

I fell into the same stupid trap when I was playing the low limits as a beginner.

I got bored with one table so I started playing 2 and 3.

For some reason I could only become a break even player. Then my mentor told me to only play one table, and my results skyrocketed!

Even though I was only playing one table instead of 2 or 3, I was making more money with one table. My learning curve just got so steep.

Simply put, multi-tabling stunts your improvement and thus stunts your future profits.

[BettyBoopAA]

I'd play 8 tables, watch a dozen televisions and talk on the phone, read a book so your not bored.

[boose_bagina]

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watch a dozen televisions

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now thats impressive!

[Boltsfan1992]

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What's better - playing several (2-3) tables and therefore faster get some experience under the belt, or play one table, but be able to pay more attention (but posibly become bored?)

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In short, no, playing more than one table as a beginner will not make you a better player. A beginner will not have good post-flop skills - that is where the money is made.

At the lower limits, good pre-flop play will help you in the short term as you realize that people play with most anything. But when you look at good post-flop play, and the pots are multiway, then you have to concentrate more on making the correct decision. When you get ready, read Small Stakes Hold 'Em and concentrate on the post-flop chapters.

However, when you can make these decisions quickly, then add one table at a time. There are many here doing very well with four tables at once. I am NOT one of those people however as I found some really bad habits in my play that I am now concentrating on one table. Boring yes, slower, definitely, but my play is better - that I DO know.

FWIW

PB

[pzhon]

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What's better - playing several (2-3) tables and therefore faster get some experience under the belt, or play one table, but be able to pay more attention (but posibly become bored?)

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On some sites, the play is significantly slower than on others. I don't see this reflected in the other answers.

Beginners can get a lot of value from following the action in all hands they can. On a site that allows you to see the hands that were mucked at showdown (Party, UB, PokerStars, PokerRoom, etc.), you should spend some time looking up the past hands, asking, what did this player have on each street? How would I have played that? Did he have the odds to draw? Particularly on a faster site such as Ultimate Bet, there might not be enough time to do this and play multiple tables.

On a site that doesn't show you the cards mucked at showdown, and where the games are slower, you are probably wasting too much time if you only play one table. I'd say this is the case on the Cryptologic network.

[jmgurgeh]

I eventually got to the point where I could 4-table $.50-$ tables on Party to clear bonuses profitably. Sweet! Then I moved to $1-$2 where the tables are a little tighter, more aggressive, and the play is faster. Four-tabling $1-$2 became a very good way to give my money away.

I'm now concentrating on one table only. I think I might move on to two soon, but 6-max is faster still than any of the full games. If you're playing on Party, note what people are raising PF with. Note how they play TP no kicker. Note how they play flopped two pairs and sets. I have at least three people in my set of notes that I know will bet any flop they missed with an unimproved, crappy A. I can't even count how many people raise and reraise draws and overs on the flop. This information is so +EV it's ridiculous, and it's unlikely you'll have time to look it up with four tables going. Maybe one day I will four-table $5-$10 and pay my rent with rakeback, but that day is not yet here. Until my mind goes fast enough to do that and I can make good plays much faster than right now, it's 1-2 tables, and one table only when I try to move up.

So in conclusion, one or two table, and use all the information at hand. Multitabling will get you more money at rakeback in the short term, but may also lose money on the table. Focusing on how to adapt to the different situations and players as best you can will get you good at poker.

Maybe some pros will disagree, but that's my 2 (+2?) cents.