How can they multi table so many games on one screen?

Hello again and thank you for your previous replies. very very helpful. I will post replies once I have fine tuned my game a little more. Anyways I keep hearing things like players like hevad khan tabling like 30 games at one time. Or even Phil Wheaton multi tabling like 6-8 tables at once. I'll be honest, If I have 2 games going at the same time on my one monitor when things get short handed and the blinds get bigger it is going back and forth from one game to the next so fast that I just can't imagine 4 or even 6 tables on just one monitor. Are these guys multi tabling on multiple monitors and if so how is that possible and how do i do it? Thank you so much for your input.

There are 3 primary forms of multi-tabling.

The most common form is tiling generally used for 12 or less tables. This is fitting all the tables onto the screen at the maximum size they fit onto the screen without any overlap. The benefit is that you get to follow all the action without any need to activate tables. The bad side is that it is space intensive meaning the tables become smaller as you increase the number of tables. This is the only form that requires more than 1 monitor.

Another form is cascading where you stagger the tables with overlap but due to the staggering, you can click on any table to follow the action on that table. You can click on any tables to follow the action on that table but you can not see any action on any non active tables for the most part. I've barely ever cascaded so I know the least about it among the 3.

The last form is stacking where you put all the tables directly on top of one another. The biggest benefits are that you can have the biggest table size even with a large number of tables due to the lack of need for more space when you add tables. Also, it requires the least amount of mouse movement. The downside is it is hardest to follow the action on non active tables because you have no way to activate specific tables other than to click the icon on the taskbar. People eventually get used to this but remembering previous street action can be troublesome at times if your game is not very mechanical.

Be careful with this one, I have, on more than one occasion, clicked the raise button for one table right as another popped up and raised for the wrong one. I would personally suggest the multiple monitor option. That is what I use and it's really nice. everything is right there in front of you at all times, no forgetting about tables at all.

^ yea I agree, that last one is dangerous. You can end up accidentally doing things you would never want to do. If all the tables are sinked up exactly, so are the buttons, and when its your turn to act that table pops up to the top.

fold a couple monsters like AA KK, or raise/call some 24off hands and you'll probably decide its not worth it.

There are several multi table threads on CC. Use the search feature. Most everyone that is doing more than two tables has some sort of tracking software. If you are multi tabling and not using tracking software you are better off not multi tabling.

What site do you guys play on? On Stars and Tilt, tables only pop up after you act on the active table. Other tables don't pop up over the active table when it is your turn to act.

I only mass multi table for SnGs but I misclick maybe once every 200 games 40 tabling Stars, maybe once every 500 games 20 tabling Stars, and almost never 12 tabling Tilt.

I will play up to 4 at one time on one monitor. If I have I am going to play more than that I go to another monitor. The most I have played is 7 at the same time. I like to fit them on the screen so as to see the games I am currently not playing. I currently don't use tracking software but would be interested in more information regarding that

i used to try and play like 6 tables at a time... i used a big screen and just clicked Tile Tables on full Tilt and thats how i fit them all in the same screen

wtf
What on earth do you do if half a dozen of the tables become heads up!

I really wish I could pull this off as it would kick variance up the arse but there's no way i could physically handle it and even if i could my winrate would plummet.
Hearing people go on about how they 8+ table just makes me extremely jealous.

i can ususally minimaze upto 6 to 8 tables and play them at one time but I dont like to do it dureing big tourneys because sometimes you get in a hurry and forget which table is ur toureny table and you might make a move or not make a move when you need ot depending on position and how early or late in the tourney it is

Yup 2 tables is my max no idea how people play 6-8, doesn't observing how your opponent plays matter?

Several of my colleagues at work have two or more monitors hooked to one computer. They can display different programs on each monitor. I assume those who frequently multi-table more than just a few tables do the same thing. Didn't Havad Kahn have somthing like 6 monitors hooked up to his computer?

Can you really 40 table? I thought 24 was the max. I like to stack, but I've never had a problem with misclicking. The key is not to act until it is your turn (in other words, the table has popped up). If you take action on a table that you just acted on before another one pops up, that's where the trouble can come in.

Actually, today I misclicked on a made straight and I don't know what happened. It's like my mouse send two clicks instead of one and it folded for me. Luckily, you can't fold in that situation, but I didn't get in an extra bet. I think it was a mechanical error, but than a misclick.

I haven't stacked in years, so they must have fixed that problem. I have been using either the multiple monitor method or cascading(if on my laptop) pretty much ever since I started multi-tabling, just because of that stupid pop-up problem. But I guess if it works for you and you're making dough, no need to change it

i was lucky the computer i use had to monitor plugs. so all i had to do was plug another in. if you dont have to plugs you may have to add a card to the mother board to allow to plug another in. i only do about 8 tables at once. but can see all the action. when i first started this was overwelming. now i can do it no problem. i can even sneak i trip to the fridge for a drink or snack without missing a hand.

If there is some limit like 24 tables at a time, that would be per site, so one could conceivably have 24 pokerstars tables and 24 tilt tables going.

Almost an imperative is tracking software like (PT3) Poker Tracker, or HoldEmManager (HEM).

It is humanly impossible without some sort of tracking software to do a lot of tables. I can probably handle 4 tables without my tracker, but I don't like it.

well i wouldnt say impossible because im sure someone could easliy do 30+ tables of like 5nl with no problem (not that i know why they would)

i'm hearing about this guy boku87 on pokerstars. from what i've read he's doing like 50+ SNGs at once. i think what he posted was 35-40 on average. it seems this is all one site too. i've seen a video of someone doing 50 SNGs at pokerstars at once. the guy who made the video did it just to do it. this boku87 is crushing these. he's doing a $5 to $100k in a year challenge. he busted and started grinding playchips but pokerstars just gave him another $5 as they didnt want to advertise the sale of playchips. but he since turned that $5 into $9k+ in 2 weeks time.

First off, let me say that I do not in any way advocate playing more than about 8 tables, especially in ring, if you want to improve as a poker player. I personally only 2 table ring and with good reason. I don't think I will ever go over 4 for ring. You are not thinking and adapting which is what "good poker" is about. Mass multi tabling is more about playing mechanical and unexploitable poker. The thing with SnGs is that you need to play a lot to sustain a decent hourly rate unless you can outplay people at the higher limits.

Half a dozen tables of heads up is nothing but if you play sets (as opposed to continuous), you generally bust in some leaving you more time for the endgame of others where you generally have less time to act due to less people. Fwiw, I 40 table DoNs so I never have to deal with heads up but I have played up to 30 table of normal SnGs.

I would not be jealous about this. Moving up limits and becoming a better poker player is far more important in ring (which, if I recall correctly is what you play).

I believe 24 is the max for ring. I have played 50 DoNs before so the max for SnGs is at least 50.

This is not necessarily true. You just play unexploitable push/fold poker (along with whatever other tendencies you can exploit at a particular limit) and you can be profitable readless (see Boku note below). I can profitably 40 table the nanos without a HUD which I do not use for anything over 24 tables because it lags too much.

You can't do more than 24 for ring unless they changed that. As stated at the begining, I wouldn't recommend anything more than about 8 for ring which requires adaptation, and thinking multi-street poker, something unnecessary to be profitable in low stakes SnGs.

The story behind Boku87 is that he won a prop bet that he could turn $100 into $10k in 15 days playing nothing but SnGs up to the 16s. He did this by 50+ tabling SnGs without the help of any scripts, HUDs or any programs which shows that it is possible to do. The challenge you heard about is like a follow up. Fwiw, I have done a few marathon sessions of MMT SnGs and I can tell you from personal experience that it is quite the awful experience. Furthermore, fatigue can affect your play or tilt which you may not even notice. Boku is just a machine. Do not try to emulate him imo.

i can play 4 games without any hud or anything on one monitor and feel comfortable...tiled. i have 2 other monitors networked...key word "networked" meaning they're useless to me in poker software being that they're hooked up to unix machines

This doesn't happen ever. I don't think I changed any settings or anything, but tables cue their actions. So if another table needs your decision it will not pop up until you click a button on the current top table.

I guess check settings for something like that but I'm about 90% that I didn't have to change anything on either Pokerstars or Full Tilt

see in bold

I also have problems multi-tabling with each new sit-go reduces my effectiveness. What size monitors are being used? You would think the bigger the better.

Obv I am referencing the per site limit (at least on Stars, I don't know about other sites)

Care to explain why? I bring up 3 points in that opening paragraph and non of them are that farfetched. Also, do you play SnGs? You don't have any history...

i think on pokerstars it 24 tables for ring games and 50(or more maybe) for MTT. and yes i doubt very highly you can play your best poker as tables increase. but if your goal is to make the most possible lowering your BB/100 while still inscreasing your win/rate by mutlitabling is still a good call IMO.

I personally play with 2 screens and easily switch back forth with a freeware program. I love it. 2 screens also helps for work and improve producitivity!

I already explained in another post that it was a while back, and that must be why I had the problems. For the last 4 years or so I have been using either multiple monitors on my desktop, or just cascaded the games on my laptop. You probably posted before you read the rest of the thread.

Just wondering, what do you need to use a program to switch back and forth for? Are you meaning two virtual desktop screens or two physical monitors?

I'm not 100% sure this is what this person meant but they are most likely referring to the ability to drag windows between two physical monitors.

/Shrug I 22 table 50NL for about 4bb/100 which I believe is a solid win rate. I personally cascade the tables on a single 16' monitor. Hardly ever misclick, maybe a handful of times over the past few months.

As for whoever didn't recommend playing over 8 tables I don't necessarily agree with that totally. If your solely playing to improve your game then thats true, but as far as profitability goes, the amount of FPP's you generate can often times pad your win rate more than playing fewer tables, and DEFINITELY reduces how hard variance hits IMO.

Quoting myself from before, (note the "if you want to improve as a poker player" part meaning I don't disagree with you):
If you want to maximize immediate profits, then sure, ramp up the tables. I do when I play SnGs. It is just my opinion that you reap greater long term profits by sacrificing immediate profits and improving as a poker player (though I must say I do not follow this rule very well ), thus my recommendation of no more than 8 tables for ring.

Winrate is measured on a per 100 hands basis meaning the the amount by which FPPs increase your winrate is only affected by how many FPPs you gain per 100 hands. You are gaining more FPPs but this is counterbalanced by playing more hands. Thus, playing more tables does not pad your winrate.

The number of tables you play at one time has nothing to do with reducing variance. It is the fact that you are playing more hands that reduces variance (which is what you might have been implying but wasn't readily apparent). For example, if you 1 table 1k hands and 10 table 1k hands, all other variables being equal, your variance is the same.

i can only pull off 4 sngs at a time, or rather 4 tables in general really.

i recently tried to see how many i could play and keep up with only using playchips so i didnt kill my real money if i messed up i played 12 sngs at the same kept up ok might try something later in real money not as many tables though

You don't need any program to drag windows from one monitor to another. You just change the settings in your appearance preferences on your computer or your video card's settings.

this skill "multitabling" will serve you good in the future. for the sole purpose of increasing your hourly rate. not for becoming a better player as stated in this post. i've played for playchips for a long time and still do almost daily. but the 2 main things i learned while playing for playchips is 1 bankroll management. and 2 the ablity to multitable. i think these two things should be learned with playchips or the lowest stakes games before you consider investing any real money in poker.