Fear of multitabling

[masse75]

Wouldn't call myself a beginner, but I figured I'd post here anyway. Figure I might get a decent response.

Back in January, deposited $75 at UB, did okay for about a week, then wound up pissing the vast majority (read: all but $2) away. Was on the verge of saying [censored] it, betting the last $2 and walking away. Figured what the hell...reread SSHE for the umpteenth time, and maybe I'll learn something. And I worked my way up from $.01/$.02. Painful.

Soon, $2 became $10 became $25, then back to $10 (don't recommend moving through .05/.10 to .25/.50 that fast), then slowly back to $50, then broke even at $75. That was about 3 weeks ago.

Have been committed to .25/.50 for a long time, and now it's almost exclusively .50/1.00. Cracked $200 earlier this week, and I would rate myself a pretty decent player. Definitely have leaks, but I'm happy with the 4.5 BB/hr I'm getting. PT has me as a TAA. I know I still need to improve.

However, I have an extreme fear of multitabling. With my ability, I think I should be able to handle it, but I feel like I can't concentrate on one game and really grasp what the other players are doing. Anyone else go through this? I may try at least stepping it up to 2 tables and seeing what happens.

If any of you are smartasses like me, I fully expect the obligatory Tilt "time to get out of the kiddie pool and start making some moves" post.

[Greg J]

Multitabling is not like a cold swimming pool. You don't just jump in. It's more like a hot bathtub... you should ease into it. Start with 2 tables. Play until you are comfortable with that. Take your time and don't let the fact that a lot of guys here love to brag about how many tables they play make you think something is wrong with you. Play within yr comfort zone.

I will also so that if you never wanted to start multitabling, it would not be the end of the world. You should not feel artificial pressure to start. Seriously, there is no reason you cannot have fun and make money playing one table at a time forever. Personally I usually only play 2 or 3, and never more than four.

Long story short: don't feel pressured into doing something you don't want to/are not comfortable with. Start with 2 and keep adding until you are happy.

[Guthrie]

Start playing two tables. I don't buy this play-one-table-so-you-can-get-reads concept. At very low limits players are almost all bad, they come and go like the breeze, and are therefore interchangeable.

I felt the same way you did not that long ago. What I did was to play a real money game and a play money game at the same time to get into the swing of it. Try this, and keep your focus on the real money game. This will tell you if you're ready, and I would guess by the discipline you've shown in building your bankroll back up that you are ready.

[pzhon]

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Have been committed to .25/.50 for a long time, and now it's almost exclusively .50/1.00. Cracked $200 earlier this week, and I would rate myself a pretty decent player. Definitely have leaks, but I'm happy with the 4.5 BB/hr I'm getting.


[/ QUOTE ]
You have been on a hot streak over a very small number of hands. You will not average 4.5 BB/hour (6 BB/100?) as you keep playing. No one does that even in much softer games on Party.

Be prepared to move down if you start losing. Otherwise, you are not properly bankrolled for $0.50-$1.

Make sure you are clearing bonus dollars.

[ QUOTE ]
I have an extreme fear of multitabling. With my ability, I think I should be able to handle it, but I feel like I can't concentrate on one game and really grasp what the other players are doing.

[/ QUOTE ]
You sound overconfident, and you may be concentrating on the wrong things. These games can be crushed with no reads at all.

I recommend playing in UB's numerous freerolls at the same time as you play one ring game. Obviously, you should pay more attention to the ring game, but this wil be useful practice.

By the way, multi-tabling is easier on sites that deal fewer hands per table-hour than Ultimate Bet.

[ QUOTE ]

If any of you are smartasses like me, I fully expect the obligatory Tilt "time to get out of the kiddie pool and start making some moves" post.

[/ QUOTE ]
Quite the reverse. I recommend that you stay in the kiddie pool until you have a much better track record.

Poker is full of losing players who think they are good, that every winning session reflects their skill, and every losing session is just a matter of bad beats.

[Fletch46]

I've started playing 2 tables at .05/.10 on UB. I started doing it on the free table first to get the timing right. Unless you're playing way too many flops, it's pretty easy and if I get into a really good hand that's going to take extra concentration, I hit the "sit out" button on the other table so it doesn't keep popping up. Having said that, it's amazing how many times something good comes on both tables at the same time. Yesterday I had AK on both tables and it called for some quick thinking. Nice problem to have. Just watch out if you like to chat. It tends to end up on the wrong table and you look like an idiot. I saw one suggestion somewhere that said if you do this, play the same game on all tables. I tried to play a cash game one day when I got bored in a SNG and it got too confusing. Maybe someone with more experience could do this but I couldn't. Good luck.

[Webster]

UB is a tough place to start multi tabling - fast play. With that said - just start slowly - keep it simple. Have one at normal limits and one at a lower limit.

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By the way, multi-tabling is easier on sites that deal fewer hands per table-hour than Ultimate Bet.

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FOR SURE!

Once you get to 1/2 you will see that the VERY GOOD players might be at 2.2BB/100 and there are very very few of them. (I'm talking 100,000 hand players). So while your win rate is pretty good - remember - it's at micro levels where pots are big and tables are easy to come by. Did you mention how many hands you have played??

4.5BB/100 is sustainable at the micro levels but once you get to the 1/2 level where real poker is starting to play it'll drop.

Back to 2 tableing. It just takes time. Try it for 10 minutes. Heck - my heart was just POUNDING when I tried it for the 1st time. Then when I went to 3 I thought I was going to have a heart attack.


Grinderswarehouse - NOT just another BLOG

[GrunchCan]

The extent of my multi-tabling is playing 2 tables at once. I play 3 if I'm in a hurry, but I don't like it. I can't play 4 at once, and frankly, I don't really want to. I'm quite comfortable with 2 tables.

[masse75]

Reporting back. I think UB is a pretty tough site to multi-table. The thing I liked about it when playing single tables is the very thing that makes multi-tabling tough: fast action. Tried 2, managed okay. 3...forget it. Basically, I'd have 2 things going on at once, and I wasn't paying attention enough.

Don't get me started on the 5+.50 SnG's there. I've got the perennial short trophy (2nd) there. Last 3 tourneys, lost to suckouts on the river.