The first thing to remember when multi-tabling is to build up the number of tables you play slowly. Start at 2 tables and gradually build up as it does take some getting used to. Don’t be tempted to just jump in and start playing the maximum number of tables, you’ll probably find it all too fast and furious. As you increase the number of tables, play that number for quite a few sessions before increasing again, this way you will get used it and not be sent into absolute meltdown by having to make so many more decisions in such a short space of time, than you are used to. My next piece of advice is, if you are playing cash games, play all tables at the same stakes and the same game. The reason I say this is that the tactics needed for say, limit hold’em, are very different for those in no limit hold’em and though some players can do it , having to constantly switch tactics and hand selection can be difficult and exhausting. You should also play the same stakes at each table. The reason for this is that if you play many tables at once it’s quite unlikely you will win on every single table every time you play. So if you play one table at $1 $2 and another at $3 $6 (whether limit or no limit) and you end up losing on the bigger stake table, it can be very hard to get this loss back at the smaller stake table, so always play the same stakes to ensure you are not trying to get back an insurmountable loss. In general, when playing on many tables at once the actual way that you play and hand selection will be different to the style of play you should employ when only playing one game. The first way in which this is different is that because you are playing so many tables it will be much harder to follow how other players are playing. To work out the loose players from the tight players is hard when it is taking most of your concentration just to play your own hand. Because of this many players choose to play a tighter than normal game. They only play good hands both in and out of position which means that they will less often be faced with difficult decisions which will often have deciding factors such as opponent hand ranges and play style that when you are multi-tabling you will be less aware of. So stick more to a “by the book” style of play rather than trying to get involved in pots by bluffing and re-bluffing as if you haven’t been able to give the game or the player your full attention you could be playing a dangerous game. Another good tip when you are multi-tabling is using the auto-fold button. This helps as it saves time and means you can concentrate on other games where you may be playing a hand rather than waiting for the action to come round to you just so you can fold. This can also be applied when you are on the big blind, you may wish to click the check/fold button to save time. I would only advise using the auto fold/check buttons as by using the auto raise or call buttons you run the risk of showing the strength of your hand as it is often clear when players have used these buttons by the speed at which they act. Multi-tabling is fun and a great way to win in less time but it is not suitable for everyone. Some people just prefer to play one table at larger stakes than many at smaller stakes but you’ll never know until you try so next time you go to play online poker try playing more than 1 game and see how you get on! |
