SSNL : Playing one table

[sourbeaver]

Have any of you considered playing only one table ?
Perhaps some have experienced it already.

I think it might be a great idea that could help build some skills like patience, reads, postflop play.

I wonder what the winrate drawbacks would be. Let's say you're making 5BB/hr (edit) playing 2 tables, would playing one table cut the winrate to 2.5 or perhaps more like 3 or 4 ?

Obviously, this is much more relevant for 6-max players.
This is something I've been contemplating for a while and I've recently begun testing.

I like the way you can get a very good feel of the table, lots of small opportunities suddenly become clear (like a nice little bluff here and there, some stuff I couldn't see playing 2 or more tables).

The thought process becomes more elaborate, even on simple decisions as some new ideas can pop into mind.

Thoughts, comments ?

[meow_meow]

Sounds like fun. Ok, so you probably don't lose to much overall winrate going from 2 tables to 1, but what about from 6-8 to 1...
Actually, I've started to wonder whether I might actually do better playing just 4. Problem is, when I do play four, I tile them down one side of the screen, which leaves the other side empty for watching a movie....

[schwza]

i usually play 1 table. i have a really hard time paying attention playing 2 6-max games at once. (i often play a MTT and a 6-max - that's more managable). i was just getting more comfortable with 2-tabling party and then they switched to 100x. i need to focus again, so it's back to one.....

[ QUOTE ]
Let's say you're making 5BB/100 playing 2 tables, would playing one table cut the winrate to 2.5 or perhaps more like 3 or 4 ?


[/ QUOTE ]

what you should've said is would it keep it at 5 or move it up to 6 or 8? (b/c you're talking about /100, not /hr).

[jhall23]

I think it is a great idea and can really help you improve. I have different goals different times I play. Sometimes I just want to get lots of hands in to clear a bonus and have the highest overall win rate, but sometimes I really want to improve on hand reading and will only play one table.

It seems clear to me from all the good posters in Mid-High that after getting out of SSNL hand reading is the most important thing that can really give you an edge as opposed to solid ABC play (which can still work of course).

As far as overall win-rate I am sure that it will go down some, but with the great reads you should be getting you will do much better at that table so I don't think it is that bad. So in your example of 5PTBB at 2 tables I definetly don't think it would drop in half because you would be playing much better at the one table assuming you don't get bored and start playing poorly.

I think doing this and having all the notes up on people and then looking at every Hand History and taking really good notes should keep you from being too bored and would be a great exercise. I see no downsides to this if you want to improve your game and winrate isn't your only goal.

[sourbeaver]

[ QUOTE ]

what you should've said is would it keep it at 5 or move it up to 6 or 8? (b/c you're talking about /100, not /hr).

[/ QUOTE ]

You're right, thanks for pointing that out, I corrected myself.

[Tim H]

I only play 1 table.
well sometimes 2 (but at a different site)


It gets really old if you aren't getting cards.
Went 50 minutes one night without a getting a decent hand or should I say a hand that I played but had to trash due to raises etc ...

But if you give yourself imaginary hands (if I had AA with this flop what would I do) etc/guess hands/figure nuts/2nd nuts etc ... you can live through it.

[fathertime]

I like it a lot. Unless I need to two table to work off a bonus, I will just play one. Once I'm up, I'll consider opening a second.

I invariably focus too much on one table and make stupid mistakes at the other table. How folks four table 6 max NL I'll never know.

[tbach24]

I play 1-2 tables. You definetly earn a better bb/100, but smaller bb/100, obviously. I have no statistical data for this. I'm full tabling too. When I get completely comfortable 2-tabling, I'll move up to 3 and 4, but for now, I like being able to relax a bit when I play.

[zaxx19]

I dont play for a living...and I dont play as often as yu guys....just a big hobby at this point; so to be honest im usually playing one table. I also dont use PT....flame away lol.

[Wayfare]

When I played one table at 25 6-max, my winrate per table was probably 50% higher than my three table of (the old) 50 NL 6-max.

Of course, the players at 50 are better.