Master Multi-Tabling Poker: Boost Wins and Rule the Tables
Multi-tabling is an online poker method in which you simultaneously participate on multiple tables. Many recreational poker players choose to multi-table because it’s more fun, and if they are skilled, they can also increase their profits over time. Professional players will mass multi-table to maximize their profit per hour rather than seeking a particular rate of return on their investments.
The general concept of multi-tabling is that if you can be a winning poker player at one table, you might also be able to be a winning poker player at two, three, four, or many more tables simultaneously. Most online poker rooms have built-in features that facilitate multi-tabling, and in this lesson, we’ll examine the two main methods and provide some strategy tips to help you maximize your profits.
Two Methods of Multi-Tabling
To successfully multi-table, you’ll need a way of efficiently organizing the poker tables. The two main methods of multi-tabling are tiling and stacking.
Tiling
Tiling is considered to be the most popular method of multi-tabling. When you tile your table windows, you arrange them in that they’re adjacent to each other so that you can see each table fully with little or no overlapping. Most online poker rooms have re-sizeable windows to allow you to change the default size of the tables. How many tables you can fit onto your screen without any overlapping will depend on how easily you can view the tables – and, of course, the size of your monitor. Some online poker players like to play across multiple computer monitors, but a single monitor should be sufficient for the casual player.
Tiling your poker tables means you see everything going on across all plains, which has clear advantages. Firstly, you can use the preset buttons to quickly discard your poor hands and concentrate fully on the other tables. It also allows you to follow the action and study your opponents, even when not involved in a hand.
Stacking
Stacking is usually the method of choice for players who play many poker tables simultaneously. Each table window is placed directly on top of the other windows so they are all positioned in the same general area of your screen. When stacking, be sure to check the preferences of your poker software and set it to bring a window to the front of the stack when it’s your turn to make a betting decision. Players who like to mass multi-table sit-n-goes of various types are most likely to use this method since many choices in the game are more standardized and automatic than those of a cash game player.
There are advantages to stacking your tables. Firstly, unless you have a very large monitor, you can play on more tables simultaneously and increase the size. Also, since the active tables will pop up in the same position each time, you don’t have to move your mouse cursor across your screen for each betting decision.
Which method of multi-tabling is best? Well, it’s down to personal choice. If you’re new to multi-tabling, I suggest you experiment with both ways and see which setup you prefer.
Multi-Tabling Strategies
In general, your goal during a multi-tabling session should be to minimize the number of different factors coming into play. When you have to think about strategic differences every time you move from one window to the next, you’re likely to experience problems and reduce your profitability. Here are some things to consider when multi-tabling:
ABC Poker
Playing poker across multiple tables naturally results in far more situations than playing on a single table. Therefore, you’ll want to use a strategy that minimizes difficult decision-making. This means you’re best served by playing “ABC poker” – to play a basic style and avoid getting into tricky situations. Although playing poker this way might make you somewhat predictable and won’t necessarily maximize your profits at each table, it’s a great way to ensure positive winning percentages and steady gains in the long run. In higher-stakes games, you will probably want to reduce the number of tables you play because experienced poker players will pinpoint your predictability and exploit it.
Stick to One Game
You should avoid playing more than one game type when multi-tabling, so don’t play razz while playing 7-card stud! Playing a couple of cash games while playing in a poker tournament shouldn’t cause too many issues for most players, but it’s generally better to stick to cash games or tournaments when multi-tabling. This is especially true when using the stacking method. You’ll also find multi-table easier if you stick to the same table stakes because your bet sizing will be standardized. Remember, the fewer decisions you have to make, the better.
Avoid Distractions
If you take your poker seriously, you’ll know avoiding distractions while playing is important. This is especially true when multi-tabling, and you won’t have time to surf the net or watch TV while you play. You’ll be using nearly all of your available time to make decisions. Also, you’ll have little time for chit-chat. For this reason, it’s in your best interests to ignore the chat box and, if you can, turn it off completely. Remember, the purpose of multi-tabling is to multiply your winnings. But by definition, it can also bear your losses if one is not careful.
Tournament Strategy
Regarding tournament poker, there are two schools of thought regarding when to start the games. Some players like creating all their tournaments or SNGs simultaneously or as close as possible. Doing this makes it easier to keep track of what phase of the game you’re in since each table should only be separated by a level or two at most. The downside to this method of multi-tabling is that all of the games will become short-handed at roughly the same time, resulting in much less time to make decisions. Another drawback is that you would want to complete one set of games before starting another round.
Other players prefer to stagger the games to have a couple of games at various levels of play. Using this method, you would start a new poker game right after another match is completed and keep going for a fixed period or after a fixed number of games. This method also makes it easier to play scheduled poker tournaments since these begin at a set time rather than waiting for a certain number of players to join.
Many poker tournament professionals construct their schedules around these events, adding or deleting certain tournaments depending on how deep they may go in each game. A player may stop multi-tabling altogether if they make it deep into a big poker tournament, preferring to pay attention to everything in that game to make a big score rather than the average dollars per hour via multi-tabling.
Start Slowly!
Some players find multi-tabling easy. For others, it can be a real struggle. The best advice is to start slowly and not play more tables than you can handle. It can take time to adjust to playing poker at several tables simultaneously. If you’re new to multi-tabling, start by playing two tables, and then once you’re comfortable, add another. Progressively add more, one at a time, and if you struggle to make key decisions within the allocated time – or find multi-tabling negatively affects your game, reduce the number of tables. It’s also important that you be respectful of your fellow poker players, so make sure your decisions are made within a reasonable timeframe.
The more you play online poker, the more you’ll feel comfortable multi-tabling. With experience, you’ll soon discover your optimum number for multi-tabling, which maximizes your profits at the tables!
