Multiple
Tables
By
Jennifer Schwechten
The
ability to play multiple tables
simultaneously is just one of the many
advantages to playing Texas Holdem Poker
online.
Multiple
tables, at least in theory, give players the
opportunity to maximize their prize winnings
by allowing them to multi-task.
Since
much time is frequently spend waiting on
other players to play their hand, playing
multiple table allows betters to spend more
time actively playing, serving to speed up
their game play and reduce their downtime.
There
can be significant disadvantages to playing
multiples tables, however, namely that that
most players’ abilities will suffer when
their attention is divided amongst multiple
games.
Multiple
tables require that players remain alert to
twice as many, or more, competitors and
cards.
Whereas
strong players can often adopt
player-targeted strategies when playing with
a limited number of players in a single
game, it becomes much more cumbersome to do
so when facing with an increasing number of
opponents.
It
can be easy to miss key plays and lose your
place when you may focused on another game
at any given moment.
Additionally,
internet poker players often tend to be
impatient and do not like to have to wait
for another player to make his move.
Players who are betting on multiple
tables are invariably going to be slower
since they need a few extra moments to catch
up and jog their memory about what is going
on at the table.
Those
players who feel pressured to play before
they are ready to avoid upsetting the
competition are much more likely to make a
move without thinking through the
consequences.
An
equally important factor to consider when
weighing the option of multiple tables is
the type of game you are playing.
No-Limit
games are highly dependent on player reads
and require much more vigilance on the part
of the player.
In
such a situation, dividing your attention
between multiple tables may significantly
affect your ability to play a winning hand.
By
contrast, Fixed-Limit games at low stakes
are more dependent on tactical skills that
will not be as severely impacted by a
player’s divided attention. Therefore, playing multiple tables tends to be a more
suitable option for players of Limit games
than No-Limit games.
Due
to these factors, players should not assume
that they can increase their earnings simply
by playing multiple tables.
A
player who routinely wins $100 an hour when
playing a single table is unlikely to
increase his winnings to $200 by playing two
tables simultaneously.
Even
those players who consistently beat the game
and are more profitable playing multiple
tables overall, will frequently discover
that their profit rate per table drops the
more tables they add to the mix.
The
previously mentioned player may find that he
wins $150 an hour now that he is playing on
two tables, $50 more than his earnings on a
single table, but at a lower $75 per hour
profit per table.
The key question players need to ask
themselves is:
“Can
I maintain my winning status consistently so
that I may overall the pitfalls of dividing
my attention between multiple tables, and
end up profiting in the long run?”
A
final consideration: for many casual Texas
Holdem players, playing poker is not all
about winning.
Playing
multiple tables can be highly stressful,
requiring constant vigilance and quick
decision making.
If playing multiple tables takes the
fun of out of the game, then it may not be
the right decision for you.
Next: The
poker world
|
