Most beginner online poker players are under the impression that they can only play one table at a time when they play poker online. This doesn’t come as a surprise, given that those who play cash games or poker tournaments at a brick-and-mortar casino have to stick to one table.

However, the advent and continual improvement of online poker games means that you can multi-table. If done correctly, multi-tabling can significantly add to your poker winnings. However, it’s only successful if it doesn’t negatively impact the quality of your gameplay and decision-making process.

Luckily, it’s a skill set that you can learn, and honing a clear and concise multi-table poker strategy will set you up for success.

Here are some tips to help you build your multi-table poker skills.

Stick to Two or Three Tables to Start

If you’re just starting to learn how to play poker in a multi-table format, it’s important that you resist the temptation to play a whole heap of tables in the beginning. Yes, you may have seen someone playing more than a dozen tables at a time very successfully, but you must understand that they have probably been perfecting the skill for years. Instead of looking at others, consider, simply, is multi-tabling in poker a good idea for you?

At the beginning of your multi-table journey, it’s better to start with two or three tables to get the hang of it and practice playing across numerous tables for a while. It’s also good to start with micro-stakes or low-stakes poker so that any errors won’t break your bankroll. Sure, you may be well beyond learning poker basics and knowing the best multi-table tournament poker hands to play, but putting all of that into practice at multiple tables at one time is a big task.

If you open too many tables or immediately start at tables with high stakes, you’re simply setting yourself up for failure, as you won’t be able to keep up with all the action yet.

Keep Your Two or Three Tables Visible

The players who have been crafting their poker skills for years and are able to operate 10 or more tables at a time will most likely stack their tables one on top of the other to save space on their screen. Some of them can even focus on playing cash games and winning multi-table poker tournaments at the same time. These players have likely been playing poker online for years and worked their way up to that point.

Don’t do this when you’re starting out. You should keep all of your tables and tools in view on your screen. This allows you to scan them while play happens on other tables and plan what action you’ll take when your turn comes. Stacked tables only pop up when it’s your turn to play, which prevents you from seeing prior action and tracking the moves of opponents. 

Here are some other tips for poker games online when learning how to multi-table.

Avoid Mixing Poker Tournaments and Cash Games

Tournaments and cash games require different strategies, and this is why you should avoid mixing the two when you are playing multi-table poker. It’s often only very experienced players who can manage poker tournaments vs cash games at the same time, and it’s rare to see.

It’s better to finish up cash games before starting a tournament and vice versa. The last thing you want when playing a tournament game is for your cash game to pop, require action, and create the kind of distraction that could throw you off your game completely.

Use a Four-Color Deck

The action in multi-table poker is incredibly fast, and you need to cut down your reaction time as much as possible where you can. If you use decks of the same color, it’s all too easy to misread your hand and fold the wrong one or make a big call with a poor one. 

The easiest way to prevent this is by selecting games with a four-color poker deck. This means that hearts are red, spades are black, clubs are green, and diamonds are blue. This helps you to figure out what is going on much quicker, and you’ll be able to make important decisions with just a glance at the cards.

Sit in the Same Seat

Whether you’re playing multi-table or sit-and-go poker, sitting in the same seat when you play is a great way to learn while you are just starting out. In multi-table tournaments (MTTs), you’ll be given the option to sit in the same seat, and the game will just rotate around you.

This means that you don’t have to find out where you’re sitting across all of your tables while you are under pressure to make fast decisions. Since building a strategy around poker table positions is already important, it’s even more so when playing more than one online poker game at a time.

Take Notes

It’s not going to be possible to make notes on every play and every hand across all of your tables. However, it’s important to recognize the big moments within games and write them down. A vital part of becoming a better poker player is reviewing poker hands.

This will help you to recognize player patterns going forward, which cards have been played in what positions, and more. Reading poker betting patterns is a skill that can be used in other online games as well.

Get Rid of Distractions

Multi-tabling takes enormous focus to get right, and you have to bring your A-game to every session if you want to be successful. Juggling numerous tables and trying to remember a multitude of hands is no easy feat, and that’s why it’s essential to remove any distractions. This is important in any poker session, but particularly when trying to maintain focus during long poker sessions.

Whether you’re playing a multi-table tournament or sit-and-go, and especially when playing more than one at a time, this isn’t a good time to check your phone or the weather. It’s not going to save you time to watch poker training right now, and you certainly shouldn’t be having a conversation with your friend while you play, either. Get into the habit of removing these distractions and getting yourself into the poker zone.

Play Multi-Table Poker at BetMGM

BetMGM is one of the best online poker sites for multi-table games, and there are a number of different themes, formats, and more for you to choose from when you want to play poker for real money. That’s not all. If you need a break from online poker, there are thousands of other online casino games to keep you entertained, too.

Register with BetMGM Poker to try your hand at multi-table poker and more. And when you start a new account, use an online poker welcome bonus to make the most of your first deposit while playing on the best online poker game site in America.

Want to try out multi-table poker for the first time? Here are some tips to help you develop multi-table poker skills that will set you up for success.