Multi-Table Online Play Reduces/Increases fluctuations?

[DougThor]

I've read other's posts claiming that playing 2+ tables at a time reduces your variance. I'm guessing this to be true since you're doubling your hands/hour and hopefully smoothing out the fluctuations or am I completely wrong? If it is true, doesn't it benefit the winning player to play as many tables as possible to reduce the swings and also double or triple your win rate?

Also, if I'm playing at the 2/4 level on Party, would I need a 600 BB bankroll for two tables or is 300 still sufficient?

Thanks in advance.

Doug

[pudley4]

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doesn't it benefit the winning player to play as many tables as possible to reduce the swings and also double or triple your win rate?


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Yes, up to a point. Your win rate/hr at each table will most likely go down, but overall your total win rate/hr should go up. However, there will be a point (3 tables?, 5 tables?, 10 tables?)at which your overall win rate/hr also goes down.

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Also, if I'm playing at the 2/4 level on Party, would I need a 600 BB bankroll for two tables or is 300 still sufficient

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Since your win rate per table goes down, your BR requirement should go up, but not to 600. If your BR requirement is 300 BB, then off the top of my head, I'd say 350-400 would be enough.

[Richie Rich]

There are two ways to look at it. If you're a good player, then your overall winnings should go up by playing multi-tables; on the other hand, if you still can't play the game profitably, then you're going to lose more money at a quicker rate.

HOWEVER, an important factor to take into account is that the frequency of bad beats will go down at multible tables. If you DO happen to take a bad beat while playing on only one table, you are more likely to go on a tilt. If you're playing respectably well at multiple tables, though, then any bad beat at one table will be cushioned by your winnings at the other tables.

[ctv1116]

Well, think about it statisically. Assuming you make 1 BB/hr with SD 10 BB/hr. If you play 2 tables, you're EV is 2 BB/hr, and your SD is 10*sqrt(2)BB/hr = 14.1 BB/hr. It doesn't reduce variance.

[Robk]

BruceZ speaks the truth here .

[BruceZ]

I've read other's posts claiming that playing 2+ tables at a time reduces your variance. I'm guessing this to be true since you're doubling your hands/hour and hopefully smoothing out the fluctuations or am I completely wrong?

It only reduces your variance if you reduce the limit. For example, playing 2 tables of 1/2 will have half the variance as 1 table of 2/4. The standard deviation will be 1/sqrt(2) times smaller. If you win the same amount per hour playing 2 tables of 1/2 as you win playing 1 table of 2/4, then your bankroll requirement will be half as much playing 2 tables.

On the other hand, playing 2 tables at 2/4 will have double the variance as 1 table of 2/4. The standard deviation will be sqrt(2) times larger. Then if your win rate also doubles, your long term bankroll requirement will stay the same.

[kmprsdrm]

My personal varience goes way down, because at 2+ tables i can easily fold questionable starting hands because there is always another hand starting quickly (at times too quickly). If I'm at one table I find myself getting bored and suddenly that KJ offsuit doesn't look that bad (I'm only 5 positions off the button--thats still considered late--right?) So for me 2+ tables is much better.