I discovered something today while in chat. I mentioned a few times that I was going to grind and a few people PM'ed me asking for my screename, if they could watch, and what not. I later discovered some of these people started grinding many tables at once. It's one thing to play 2 tables at once. It's another thing to play 4+ games at the same time. Take the following advice, or leave it...It's completely up to you. I'm here to try to help others play.

I wish PokerTableRatings had records of my play pre-december but for some reason it doesn't. Maybe since I didn't play on Carbon for 6 months my records got deleted out of the database. Not sure. My point to this is, if you looked at my pre-december PTR you would have seen many swings. This was caused by poor play and making the same dumb mistake. If you are not a solid player on one table, you are not a solid player on 4 tables, or 8 tables. While it is true playing multiple tables reduces variance, it is also true that if you are a losing poker player you will lose 4x, 6x, 8x, etc. faster. Poker Pro Jared Hubbard says it best in his recent blog. He has played 20k+ SnG's on Carbon and prior to that 50k+ SnG's on PS and Cake, yet he only plays 1-3 tables at once. Multi-tabling is not for everyone.

With all that said, why do I multi-table? If you've watched my sessions in the past you'll notice a few things. If I'm playing PLO I have 2 tables running at once, rarely more. If I'm playing FL (Fixed Limit) Holdem I'll get as many running as I can (usually 6 on Carbon). FL games offer a more straight up playing style. The ability to determine pot odds isn't relevant. The game is much simpler and allows for the ability to play many tables at once. I've been playing FL since I was 18 (nearly 6 years), through trial and error I've figured out what works and what loses me money. I didn't deposit onto FTP back in the day and start playing 12 tables right away and win. I played one and lost then got pissed. Played 2 and lost faster and got more pissed. You can probably figure out what happened next. I had no money!!! Before you play more then 2 tables at once, and maybe even 1, try logging at least 5k hands of winning poker before playing multiple tables. I also HIGHLY suggest the use of HUD if you're playing a game other then FL.

This is a poker community, post some hands here. Let others review your hands and give you advice. I did that when I first started playing. It helped a lot and got me to where I am today. I'm by no means a professional. I played a lot of live games in college, and looking back I probably should have played online more. You learn a lot by reviewing your hands, and seeing the graphs of your win/losses on a computer screen. Online poker offers so many educational benefits to the casual player, and professional alike, but few take advantage of it. Most players just play to play, and that's fine if you're not looking for a profit. But if you want to get a ROI you need to take time away from the table and study your game.

Good luck on the felt

P.S. Be on the look out for some videos of some recent hands I've played. I'll post them sometime tonight.