how should one start multi tabling?

well i am doing 5 right now (cash games) and sometimes 6. but more than that i dont get a profit. when multi tabling 5 i can keep basic track of each table. but more than that i am just playing the cards because i feel rushed and end up making bad choices.

what do most people multi table? and whats the strategy on doing so many?

I like to multitable as well, I've noticed many people who play 15 tables at a time, which astounds me. I find the constant 'ding' of the action alert drives me to the point of insanity, and I perform markedly worse. The way to play has to be to see which number of tables gives you the most benefit from seeing more hands yet doesn't harm you from lack of concentration.

I know that lots of guys multi table very successfully but I just cannot see how you can play poker at 5 or 6 different tables and still concentrate. At most I can play 3 and even then I am struggling.

I like to only play 3 max, or else i tend to not have full concentration on the tables or be able to read other players.

Depending on what games I'm playing, I can play up to 3 games at once (2 cash and 1 MTT/SNG). But, if I go deep in the MTT/SNG, then I close out everything and concentrate on that room. Same thing goes if one of the cash rooms gets very loose.

Nobody here has mentioned either HEM, or PokerTracker3. Either of these will do much of the hard work for you. Neither will make decisions, but both will collect data on whats happening at each table and present it to you when needed, usually via a HUD (heads Up Display) with stats for each player showing directly near (you can position them) each player. I know with PT3 you can click to get as many stats on a player as you want, and if they havn't decided to provide a particular stat, PT3 has a way for you to invent that stat. I assume HEM has that ability as well.

For you not familiar both have free trial versions, with somewhat limited capabilities. Google PokerTracker, or HoldEmManager.

The HUD's are nearly mandatory if you multi-table.

Personally I don't see the benefit in playing too many tables at once. It takes a very specific type of person to be able to focus on a half dozen tables and not put yourself at a disadvantage in doing so. Sure, stat trackers can help, but most of us will more than likely wear ourselves out and end up not doing as well as a more concentrated effort on a few tables.

If there is a way to invent stats in HEM, I'd sure like to know. Seems like a few are missing.

Agreed about HUDs -- you just have to leave yourself enough time to actually look at them.

What about durrr? he is a very succesfull online player xD
he is not from this planet

I find myself playing quite a few tables at once. I find it very hard to concentrate on just 1 table (unless I'm deep). If I'm playing cash tournies, I will usually play 4-5, but if I'm farting around on some free sngs, or just freerolls, I will fill my screen up with as many as it can hold, and then some. 12-14 tables at once at that point is no problem. Sometimes you time out if you play more than that, and your screens not big enough to fit them all.

The main reason why this is profitable, is because you almost have to play tighter. If your focused on one table, you get bored folding all the time, though you do pick up some really good reads on people by doing so. Fold those rags on all the other tables, and focus on your table with the monster. You tend to play less hands, but your playing more top ten-twenty hands. Position play is of course important, and is usually the first thing I look at at any given table, before I fold / raise / call.

I need a bigger moniter.

It depends on the person. You can train yourself to play more tables, but some people can train themselves to play more than others.

I play worse by far if I am playing over 3 tables.... I don't feel I can play that many tables with near as much skill as I could play 1-3. I do better if I play a free roll or something unimportant while playing the important games!

What are your stats?

V$IP/PFR?

When multi tabling, if you are playing too loose then the action gets too much to cope with.

Obviously anything is difficult to begin with, but if you have tried for a few weeks and are still struggling, I would suggest that you are playing too loose.

I play 3-4 tables, in the basic SNG if it is more than them you have not time to monitor everything, I am surprised as people play 8-16 tables?!

i need to concentrate to win so max i play is 3 ,4 is too much on 3 i just make it but i prefer 2 ..
i also dont like multi tabling coz then u get mixed up with your oponents and forgot who playes how and reads and have no time to write notes(on full tilt)..

Give it a go and give it time.

Poker is a volume game so multitabling is the key to the high winrates.

Good play is the key to winning!

To a point.

Lets assume that your single table winrate drops by half when you multitable, but instead of playing just one table you now play 16.

Would you think that you earn more this way? i.e. 8 times more than playing your best game on just one table?

The good thing about playing several tables is that you don't dwell on the bad beats, you really don't have time to. You just quickly move on.

I agree the odds are more in your favor but 8 times no way.... But what I mean is if you are playing only 1 or 2 tables you can pick up on people more get certain tells from them. It is harder but not impossible to get tells on-line. I play 2-3 tables and play semi-tight. Playing multiple tables and only playing top hands leave you lacking from my experience. A great advantage to on-line poker is trapping and traps are best set with odd cards. I get called a donk a LOT but if you are seeing crappy cards in my hand it is because they beat you. Knowing when to stay and reading the person or people in the hand is a great advantage that is not as easy when playing 5+ games... I play for fun never depositing and I get in the money at the $500 Bodog free roll quite often. I am usually playing only 2 games I also play the 7,500 player American free roll at FT. I have been in the top 100 a lot since they bumped it to 7,500 people. I do play better with 2-3 tables as opposed to 1 though....

I usually play extra tables based on my bankroll. If I have more than the minimum amount needed at the playing level but not enough to move up to the next level I increase the number of tables rather than moving up. This is not the only consideration but a good starting point.

i never play more than two tables at a time...its very important to be able to focus on the players at the tables you are playing, which is virtually impossible to do playing 5 and 6 tables at a time

cheers and gl
wooter

get a HUD

i play 3 to 4 cash games at a time. if i play more i cant concentrate on each table as well as i should even with HEM. yes HEM and PT-3 helps you a lot but it doesnt make the decisions for you. i find the more i can concentrate on each table the better the results are.

You should start from 2-3 and build your game... That's how Im rolling at least

I used to play up to 5-6 tables, but I realized that I could not concentrate well enough and the results were not satisfactory, so I reduced back to maximum 2 tables in the same time (cash or tournament, never mix both)