Why multi-tabling is probably not right for you

In the world of online poker multi-tabling has become the rule, not the exception. Players see the possibility to increase their win-rates by playing double, triple, perhaps 10-times as many hands in the same amount of time. Unfortunately for most poker players multi-tabling does not add anything to their win-rate, and could in fact erode their poker skills.

The facts about Multi-Tabling

I have a saying I use to describe multi-tabling that I have adapted from the golf adage of ‘you drive for show and you putt for dough’. My multi-tabling saying goes like this: ‘You multi-table for dough and you play one table to grow’.

What I mean by this is that once you start multi-tabling -especially when you begin playing four or more tables-you have basically conceded the fact that you have reached the pinnacle of your poker ability. With so much going on at just a single table you will often miss out o key bits of information, so when you are playing 4, 6, or 8 tables at a time you are missing out on a ton of information! Furthermore, you will have a hard time honing your poker skills like hand reading, table image, and other small but important details, since you have basically supplanted these details with a more generalized strategy which can be implemented at numerous tables simultaneously.

When you decide to start multi-tabling you will find it very hard to improve as a poker player, since most of your time at the poker tables will be spent making decisions. Compare this to a player who is focusing on just a single table and can really concentrate on improving their play in a number of areas and growing as a poker player.

When you should Multi-Table

Now, I’m not against multi-tabling, and there are times that multi-tabling is beneficial for most poker players:

• When you are clearing a bonus or some other promotion where it’s important to play numerous hands in a certain period of time
• When you have reached a limit where you feel comfortable playing and would like to add to your win-rate -remember, you can always switch back to playing a single table should you decide you would like to move up to a higher limit or to work on your game

When ot comes to multi-tabling in poker it’s important to understand what you give-up when you multi-table, and to decide if the pros outweigh the cons. To me it seems quite silly to multi-table $25 NLHE games if your goal is to improve so you can play $200 and $400 NLHE, the profits you may be passing up by playing a single table will easily be compensated for when you move up to the $400 limits in a fraction of the time it would take you if you were multi-tabling -if you ever get there at all.

So, to all you low-limit multi-tablers out there; try playing a single table for a little while; you’ll be surprised at how quickly your poker game improves when you focus entirely on a single table.