[ QUOTE ]
1. Does multi-tabling increase my fluctuation/volatility or increase my risk of going broke wiht 400 BB?
[/ QUOTE ]
No. It actually reduces your variance because the increase # of hands per hour gets you to the long run faster. Your 400BB bankroll requirement is not dependant on the number of tables you choose to play.
[ QUOTE ]
2. Is it accurate for me to record four hours of time if I play for one hour at four tables?
[/ QUOTE ]
No. You should really consider getting
Poker Tracker. It's the "gold-standard" for statistic/record tracking. In terms of online play we refer to win rates in terms of Big Bets per 100 hands. This allows for a standard of comparison regardless of the number of tables/hands played per hour.
[ QUOTE ]
3. How many hours and/or sessions do I need to play for my hourly rate and standard deviation to be stable enough to be truthfully reflected by my results?
[/ QUOTE ]
For your hourly rate - A LONG time. In fact - that you are asking this question implies that this is something you probably shouldn't be concerning yourself with at this point. Just worry about playing good poker. If you can learn to play good poker your stats will fall into place over time.
[ QUOTE ]
4. What is a "typical" standard deviation, and if my standard deviation is low enough, can I jump up to $1/2, or whatever the next level is, with fewer big bets in my bankroll? How low would my standard deviation have to be to do this?
[/ QUOTE ]
In terms of moving up - your biggest concern should be that you are a winning player at the current level you're at. Generally after about 10,000 hands - or about 40 hours of 4-tabling - you should have a pretty good idea where you're at. There's nothing wrong with taking shots during that time - possibly leading you to moving up after only 5,000 hands. The big keys are A) to know that you're most likely a winning player at the level you're at and B) be prepared to move back down to your current level if a shot at the next level fails initially. Many players are constantly moving up and down taking shots at trying to crack into the next level.
Good Luck!
Crunch