How Multi-Tabling Has Changed Poker Strategy

Multi-tabling is a way of playing online poker in which you participate on multiple tables simultaneously. Many entertaining poker players select to multi-table because, this is more fun and if they are skilled then they can also increase their profits over time. Professional players will mass multi-table in order to maximize their profit per hour rather than looking for a particular rate of return on their investments.

Multi-tabling has changed the method poker is played. Many people - generally live poker nits - believe that multi-tabling is a waste of time. Their justification is that when playing multiple tables, it's impossible to give each result the required amount of thought.

To a certain extent these Sayers are right. Playing more tables does cut back on the time you have to make crucial tactical decisions.

So, yes: when multi-tabling, you normally would not be able to play absolute A+ game.

However, because you're playing so many more hands, A game on four tables is going to net you more money in the long run than your super A+ game on one table.

This is why people multi-table. They give up a small edge in their decision-making ability to gain a large edge in absolute volume of hands and, in the end, profitability.

Before You Play Many, Master One:

If you are learning to play poker online, multi-tabling is not for you. Before you start count more tables you should master playing just one.

Looking more hands per hour means you will have to make more decisions. Having to make decisions in a number of pots at the same time can overwhelm new players.

The last situation you want to face is to be considering a large river raise on one table and then time out with aces on another.

Start out slowly. Nobody runs before they walk. If you are having issue following the action on one or two tables, don't increase more. Slowly comfort your technique into playing more than one game.

Once you are comfortable playing one game, add another. If that makes you feel too stressed, drop back to one game. Otherwise you will make wrong decisions.

Wrong decisions lead to losing money, which, clearly, is the opposite of what you want to achieve by adding more tables.

Don't sleep on table selection.

There's no need to get fancy. With the extra tables you are going to be getting more hands an hour. You can pass up those bordering situations because another, more profitable situation is just around the corner.

Know Your Tough Spot:

It doesn't matter if you're playing four tables or 12. when the decisions start piling up you have to be able to prioritize.

You need to be able to quickly identify which choices are easy and which choices require more thought. What you should do is identify your tough spot, take a good look at the situation and give that decision all of your brain power. Then go around to your other tables and make the easy pre-flop raise/fold/call results on autopilot.

A good multi-tabler can give a setup on one table deep thought while instantaneously acting on completely different situations on other tables.