Multi tabling Strategy

By Wes Burns

If you are ready to take your poker game to the next level then you may be ready to multi table at online poker rooms. Read this guide to see if you are ready as well as what you need to know.

Multi-tabling is a great way to improve your hourly win rate but it’s important that you ease yourself into the practice of playing more than one table at a time. What many people forget is that multi-tabling can also multiply your losses. Luckily, there’s a simple strategy you can use to make sure your additional tables bring you additional profits rather than additional losses.

Know How to Win

I hope this one isn’t too obvious but it’s important that you know how to win at poker before you jump right in to multi-tabling. No number of additional tables will turn your game around. All those extra tables will do is make your losses mount up even faster than they did before.

I’ve seen some players argue that they need additional tables to help them stay patient and become tighter players. The logic almost makes sense, but in practice, this theory doesn’t work. The reality is that if you don’t have control over your own game at one table, you won’t have control over your game at many tables. Additional tables will not suddenly make you a better player.

The good new is that if you have problems beating poker, there are plenty of resources out there that can help you improve your game. Read up on all the strategy you can get your hands on. Check out poker strategy books, websites and forums. Start out at small stakes games and work your way up as you learn how to beat each level.

Move Up Incrementally

It’s important that you add tables one at a time rather than suddenly go from playing one table at a time to playing eight at a time. The best strategy for adding tables is to add one table a time and then make sure you can still beat the games. Keep doing this until you reach your desired number of tables.

This incremental strategy also serves to help you find your breakeven point. Every poker player has some point at which additional tables stop increasing the hourly rate. At some point, the additional tables actually become detrimental. When you find the point at which additional tables no longer increase your win rate, you’ll know the point at which you can maximize your return.

Invest in Holdem Manager or PokerTracker

Holdem Manager and PokerTracker both perform basically the same function: they collect statistics on you and all your opponents. If you play several tables at a time, you can collect a lot of useful data over a relatively short period of time. This data can then be used to identify and fix any leaks you find in your game. When you regularly play hundreds of hands per hour, it’s important that you eliminate your leaks.

On top of that, both poker tracking software provide heads up displays (HUDs) that display your opponents’ stats above their heads. When you play multiple tables at a time, you can’t keep as close an eye on your opponents as you would like. These statistics can substitute for the detailed reads you miss out on while multi-tabling. Although stats are not as good as detailed reads, a quick glance at the stats can help you make close decisions.