Full House
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Mount Holly, NC
Posts: 813
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Section 9
Well there have been so many questions lately on multi-tabling that I figured this is a good a time as any to discuss the subject. I replied to a question in the “discussion thread” and I will use some of my reply to get started. Ender555, also asked some specific multi-table questions in his own thread, so I will try to make this section a catch all for multi-tabling SnGs.
Yes, I do multi-table SnGs. I have been two tabling for quite some time now...either 1 MTT and 1 SnG or 2 SnGs. Recently, in the last 4-5 weeks... I have been experimenting with 3 tabling. I’ve found that 2-tabling is no trouble whatsoever, I can easily watch the action on two tables, take notes and get reads....and when I comes down to it I can play two hands simultaneously. I do try to stagger the starts a little bit or I will play a single table and a two table. The point is to avoid being HU on two tables at the same time, as you can imagine that can be very hectic. Staggering the starts does not guarantee that you will not be HU on two tables at once, since each SnG will proceed at it’s own pace. I played a $50+5 SnG two days ago that literally took 35 minutes for me to win….at the same time I was playing a $30+3 SnG that started 5 minutes earlier than the $50 which took about 75 minutes to complete. Once the $30 got down to 3 people about even stacked we just fought it out forever…no one want to go out in third, I eventually did get trapped and got crippled and took third, but the level of play was exceptional for a $30 SnG. If you have never 2-tabled before I would recommend staggering the starts by 15 minutes and playing both at the same buy in to give yourself plenty of breathing room until you adjust to watching action on two tables. As previously stated you could also start a single table and a two table at the same time, since two table SnGs generally take in the 90 minute neighborhood you should be fine starting both simultaneously. If you have a single 19” monitor running at 1280x1024, I would keep it at two tables max, if you try to cram a third table in that space….there simply is not enough room to watch the action on all the tables – there is just too much overlap to pay close attention. I currently run dual 19” LCD monitors at 1280x1024 which give me the ability to actually run 4 tables and enough dead space to run IRC or Skype. If you are serious about playing poker….I highly recommend purchasing a second monitor. I am a bit of a neat freak so I feel more comfortable playing when my workspace is clean and my computer desktop is neat and uncluttered….two monitors not only allows me to see more of the action when I multi-table, it allows me to “feel” comfortable because I can organize my playing space (if that makes sense).
Three tables at once is a bit different, I have not experienced a decline in my ITM% doing it....but it requires complete and utter concentration for me. When I am on Ventrillo/Skype or IRC and I am being exceptionally quiet or don't respond to a question it is likely because I am 3-tabling. Overall it is becoming easier with practice....you mind learns how to adjust and you develop "habits" for managing them....but it is far from easy (for me anyway) What I have begun to develop is a “pattern” for watching the tables, starting with the far right table just constantly scan clockwise making mental notes of the action and pausing only if there is something interesting going on….raises/re-raises and such. As I said before it is like working out…you have to start slowly, but in time your brain develops the ability to comprehend what is going on very quickly…..I call it stretching my mind (it feels like that to me). I would be lying if I said my notes were nearly as good when I'm 3-tabling...however my reads do not seem to have suffered noticeably. You get into a zone and the skills you have developed over time essentially just take over. In the future it may bite you in the butt, because you may not have time to make a note on a particular player and the next time you sit down with him....you will not have that information unless you have a eidetic memory. Now that I have a few more weeks 3-tabling I can say I do like it….however if I don’t feel like I am having a good day or my focus is lacking I avoid it and stick to two tables. I even have 4-tabled a couple times….last night I was playing 3 MTTs and a 1-table SnG. I could manage it, but my decisions suffered, my plays were not nearly aggressive enough, or far too aggressive for the situation. Basically I was calling bets I should have raised….over betting to compensate and driving people out of pots I wanted callers on, or ending up All-In as the underdog, because of poor reads. In the end I performed on an average level, and that is simply not good enough to win. I am definitely going to stick to 3-tabling and save the 4-tabling for special occasions or necessity. I'm sure there are people who regularly 4 and even 6 table SnGs and think it is easy....I'm simply not that talented.
So you have decided to try out 2-tabling SnGs….people have asked me what they should do differently to make their play work on two tables, should they play extremely tight and play only premium hands in position? My answer is yes, if that is the way you typically play….the real answer is do not change the way you play in any fashion….why put added stress on yourself? You are already have to watch twice as many hands…..there is just no reason to play any other way that the solid time-proven way you have been playing to get to this point to begin with. Drastically changing your strategy just because you are 2-tabling is asking for failure. As long as you are not dividing your attention…reading email, watching TV or whatnot you should not see any decrease in your ITM%....on the contrary, many people see a subtle increase in their ITM% and ROI. I feel the main reason for this is that 2-tabling actually increases your focus. You simply have to concentrate a bit harder and that is never a bad thing. Another benefit…for me initially was that it helped me remain patient. Lets face it the early stages of a SnG can be really boring, and if you are not careful you can get sucked in and start playing too many hands…and even start over thinking the moves you are making (out guess yourself). When you have twice as many hands to watch and twice as many people to get reads on it certainly helps you remain patient…you are not sitting there idle nearly as often. For people that have a limited time to play poker each day (most of us) multi-tabling is an excellent way to increase you hourly earning potential as well as increasing the number of hands you see and situations you get to work through. Multi-tabling is an efficient way to become a very strong player.
Section 9 Summary
• New to multi-tabling? You should stagger the start times of games.
• Do not try to run too many tables on too few monitors
• If you step up to 3 or more tables develop a strategy for managing your focus
• Definitely start multi-tabling if you seem to be bored, playing too many hands
• Definitely start multi-tabling if you want to dramatically increase your earning rate.
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