10NL 30k Hands in. What next?

Hi Forum,
A few months back when I started playing cash, I posted asking for advice on the kind of win rates I should be gunning for at 10NL. I was advised that I would need 10 or 20K+ hands before I began to form an idea as to whether I was a winner or not at those levels.
Now I am 30,000 hands of poker in and I am beating the game by an average of 5.7BB/100 hands. This falls within what I was told was a sustainable win rate and though it is not spectacular, I am pretty happy with it since I only started playing poker a few months back ,and included in the figure are all the beginners mistakes and leaks that I am now in the process of fixing.
What I am trying to figure out now is what I should do next. The way I see it, I have two choices: either add a table or 2 at 10NL or give 20 NL a shot. Any advice?

Personally I find multi-tabling to be much more fun. That being said, multi-tabling will decrease your win rate. If you're content playing one table and have a bankroll to support 20nl, then I would definately say take a shot at 20nl. If you find yourself down a few buy-ins or something, then you can just drop back down and make back the money at 10nl. But if you're winning at 5.7BB/100 hands over 30k hands I'd say that you will win at a pretty decent rate at 20nl as well.

if it were me i would stay at 10nl until i was rolled enough to play higher. that would be maybe 25 buyins at the new level. but i would think it may be better for you to learn to multi table now at a lower limit and see if you can maintain something close to your win rate now. i would add one table at a time until you could do 6 or so tables. i dont know what your goal is. is it to make more an hour? or just to be a winner at a higher level of play. i would think as you move up in levels playing more tables at once will be more challanging so learning the basics now when the lessons are cheaper is a better option IMO.

-- i'm wondering what were your told a sustainable win rate BB/100 at 10nl would be?

I sustain a 6.7BB/100 over like 80k hands. Withdrew alot or I would have moved up way sooner.

Also DM, I would multitable and get the feel for it at the low stakes. It can only help you to learn to play like 4 tables where you can give almost 100% focus and get in more volume at the same time.

I would learn to multi-table and stay with 10 NL until you cannot add any more tables (could mean you are at 10 NL for the rest of the year). Its a tremendous skill to have and its better to sort that out at 10NL than say 100NL.

Once you have cracked it and know your max multi-tabling limit (could be 20 tables, usually its under 12) then you could easily be racking up 5k hands a day.

To a hard core multitabler, your 30K is under a weeks work. Which hopefully brings home what a tremendous skill it is to have.

You played 30k hands single-tabling?

Try learning to play 4 to 6 tables, imo, but not more. I think it's a good trade-off between seeing enough hands and still having time to play non robotically.

Hi all,

Just some background- i was on sick leave for over 3 months and had enough free time to kill, so i decided to learn poker and was able to put in 5 or 6 hrs per day, often more.
To answer cardplayers question, in a thread a few months back I asked what a sustainable winrate might look like ans was told that 4-15 BB/100 was common.
I am leaning towards multitabling as it could be very profitable to learn and can be carried all the way up the levels.

Next questions:
What kind of decreases in win rates are common for multi-tablers? I assume the added volume more than cover the drop.

What is the best HUD?

Does multi tabling have any impact on how one should play?

I don't experience any decrease in win rate up to 8 tables. It depends from person to person, obviously, but the first tables should not impact your winrate at all, imo.

http://www.holdemmanager.net , and it's not even close. Also, you can try it out for free and then there's a cheaper low stakes version that you can upgrade later on when you reach 100nl.

Maybe tighten up a little and avoid playing marginal situations more. But you certainly don't want to become a nit. Mostly tighten up more in early position and the blinds as playing out of position is a lot more difficult than playing in position. You certainly should not tighten up at all in CO and BTN.

If you play a smart loose-aggressive style, multi-tabling is going to be difficult, because you'll be involved in so many pots at one time. But for tight-aggressives, it's pretty easy to play 4-6 tables at once with a little practice. Even if your winrate goes down, the added hands should more than make up for it.

For example, you're winning 5.7BB/100 playing one table. If you gradually work your way up to 4 tables, even if your winrate drops in half, you're still making twice as much $ per hour as you were. And, if you're playing too many hands, then multi-tabling might actually increase your winrate, as you won't have as many boring lulls that can convince you to get involved with marginal holdings.

So, I'd add one or two extra tables, and keep grinding at 10NL. Then, when you're solidly bankrolled for the next level, you can drop back to one table and move up.

Thanks for the replies, fellow gamblers. I must also see about a rakeback deal at my current site, Betfair. The account is old but I would imagine I could just set up a new one to avail of a nice rakeback deal. It seems to be one sure way of boosting my investment- afterall, if i am playing more hands, I will pay more rake, and that's not cool.

In terms of reading, I have looked at Sklansky and Brunson. I have also heard a lot about Harrington. Are his cash game books any good?

You will need to try and get your existing account converted as having two accounts for a site is against the rules... if you are caught you will lose all funds from both. Plus its an instant ban from this forum!!!

Yes, I would not be a fan of having more than one account. and I read that it is possible to have one's cash confiscated- not the best way to build a bankroll. The plan would be to either get a deal where I am or move to another site via Rakeback.com or some similar outfit. However, I would much prefer to get a deal with my current site as the tables are beatable. Do any posters have views on which sites have the softest tables at 10NL? If I have to move, then I would like it to be somewhere beatable.

At 10NL I don't believe it will matter where you play. These tables are absoultely loaded with fish at any site. As far as rakeback goes, if you want rakeback you will have to switch the poker room you play at. Its possible to get rakeback on the site you're at (which site btw?), but for some people it has taken a few months for it to be approved. Poker Rooms do not like to give rakeback to existing players.

Professional No-Limit Holdem is the book I recommend the most.

Very good book

QFT!!! Gave me most of all books I have read!