If you’re looking to increase your bankroll and up your poker game, it may be time to add another table. The more tables you can comfortably master playing, the more you can improve your game and increase your hourly rate!
How Many Poker Tables Should You Play?
Everyone is Different
Finding your multi-table sweet spot varies from person to person. Some professionals can manage an insane amount, upwards of 24 tables while others may find their comfort zone is better suited to six a session.
Multi-Tabling Can Be Trained
You’re not born with the ability to multi-table; it’s something that’s learned. An acquired skill. As you learn good poker habits like watching the action, taking notes on good players, and reading hands, these habits and skills become more automatic. And when your brain operates on autopilot, it frees up brainpower to do other things, like playing more tables.
Be careful not to overwhelm yourself, so start small. Add a table and play for a shorter time than usual, or play longer hours by putting in an extra 15 minutes of great poker. Alternate between both training methods so you can play long hours across multiple tables.
What Will Maximize Your Expectation
What is your win-rate per table?
If you can master one table, you can do two nearly as well and come close to doubling your expectation or hourly return.
How much will that win-rate go down if you add a table?
Each time you add a table, you give up some focus on the other tables, thereby decreasing your win-rate per table. Even so, you’ll still experience an overall increase in your hourly win rate.
Did your overall win-rate go up or down?
The trick is finding your sweet spot. At what number of tables does your win-rate decrease? This is your sweet spot. Play to maximize your expectations. If one table nets you $10/hour, add a second. Over two tables, you’ll earn $8/hour, making your expectation $16/hour. If your expectation drops lower than $16/hour, you’re playing too many tables.
Signs You’re Playing Too Many Tables
- Timing Out, Alert Sound Blaring
- Forgetting Previous Action
- Feeling Stressed, Anxious, Exhausted, Drained
If you find yourself overwhelmed or stressed, it could be unrelated, but there’s a better chance it’s because you’ve taken on too much. Another telltale sign is when you finish a session drained, you should consider cutting back on the tables or playing for a shorter duration. It’s normal to feel tired after a session when playing Texas Hold’em, but not to the point where all you think about is crashing.
Limited Amount of Decision-Making Power
The trick is finding your sweet spot. At what number of tables does your win-rate decrease? This is your sweet spot. Play to maximize your expectations. If one table nets you $10/hour, add a second. Over two tables, you’ll earn $8/hour, making your expectation $16/hour. If your expectation drops lower than $16/hour, you’re playing too many tables.
How to Multi-Table Online Poker
Some pros can manage a crazy volume of tables, but that’s not for everyone. If you want to maximize your expectations, gradually add tables until your win-rate suffers, then you’ve found your sweet spot. The key to multi-tabling online cash games and tournaments is playing within your sweet spot. If you deviate too far, you may overdo it, which could cut into your win-rate and hurt your game.
