Less Tables is More When Starting Out in Online Poker
Deciding how many tables to play
Online poker, like a lot of things in the 21st century provides many options. Some might say too many options. When choosing how many tables to play at once, consider the impact it will have on you. I recommend playing very few tables if you are just starting to play online poker. You are likely to be at a disadvantage already so why exacerbate this by playing too many tables? This article will explain the reasons to play less tables initially.
More tables = less attention
Common sense dictates the more activities you are doing, the less attention you are giving one specific activity. This is truth in life is true for online poker. As a new player learning the game, trying to win, hand read and pay attention – you should be giving the game full focus. How can you realistically do this with multiple tables?
Taking notes is harder…
Playing properly means watching your opponents and taking good notes. This will help you read them better and make wiser, informed decisions. With more tables comes a greater note taking challenge. Truthfully, taking notes on 8 other players is a great deal easier than taking it on 24 players. Unless you have amazing observation skills and can type fast, you will find it incredibly difficult to take notes on your opponents when multi-tabling.
Winning yet? If not, why more play more tables?
It astounds me when I see beginners who lose money play 3 or 4 tables. Surely one should wait until they can win on 1 table before committing to play more tables? As you develop as a player, you will find your optimal number of tables that is gives you the best hourly win rate. At the start of your poker journey though, you should be focused on winning first. If it means reducing the number of tables, then so be it.
Reduce the number of tables you play until you are consistently winning. Once you have mastered winning at 1 table, slowly add more.
More tables, more mis-clicks
As if multi-tabling is not hard enough, it will be harder due to mis-clicks. Over time you will get used to playing more tables and learn to mis-click less but starting out you will be mis-clicking all over the place. This is just another reason to play less tables. Consider a session where you are up and mis-click a bet or mis-click a fold in a spot where you were due to win a big pot. This will impact your session result. Your edge is likely to be tiny if at all as it is.
The tilt factor…
Tilt is the enemy of every poker player. Tilt is when you play terrible due to a bad beat, a loss or someone bluffing you. It is something that affects most players in one way or another. Most people try to reduce or eliminate it by putting in measures to reduce it’s impact e.g. a 3 buy in stop loss. Consider the impact tilt will have on a beginner if they are 4 tabling? This might mean losing a few pots on 1 table, but on 4 tables, the impact is quadrupled. This will hurt your confidence and more importantly, your bankroll.
Conclusion
As a beginner, I highly recommend starting out with just 1 table when playing online poker. It may seem a bit more boring with more folds but your bankroll will thank me. Instead, play one game and give it your full attention. Watch the game, take notes and play your best. If you do this and win regularly, then you can think about playing 2 tables and doing the same. As your experience and proficiency grows, so will your bankroll and the number of tables you can play.
“New home office computer setup” by Jose C Silva is licensed under CC BY 2.0
