In this section of our Advanced Guide to Online Poker, we teach you the exact strategies and tactics used to make deep runs in multi table poker tournaments at all levels. Multi table tournaments are one of the most popular forms of online poker, because they give players a chance at a huge score with only a minimal investment.

  1. Most online poker rooms allow you to open up more than one table window and sit down and play poker at each table simultaneously. Multi-tabling has become increasingly popular amongst regular online players, who will happily play at 2, 4, 8 or more tables. However, the majority of players will stick to multi-tabling around 2 to 4 tables at once.
  2. Increasing the amount of online poker tables that you play needn't be some huge mystery. And it isn't reserved for 21 year old geniuses either. It simply requires that you take a few steps to be more efficient at the poker tables. And efficiency really is the key word which literally sums up.

An MTT (Multi-Table Tournament) is a scheduled online tournament that will start regardless of how many runners register (this is different to a multi-table Sit 'n Go which starts as soon as all seats are filled). MTTs can run from 10-10,000 players and will follow a strict blind structure. Full details can be found in the tournament lobby, including details of blinds and rebuys (if any); study it before you play. Large multi-table tournaments with small entry fees have huge fields of players, offer a higher number of cashes and large payouts. Understanding the fast and aggressive nature of these tourneys is the key to building a mostly conservative strategy with a mix of aggression for fun and profit. Online Multi-Table Tournaments (MTT’s) have “arrived” in a big way. Whether it’s 4:00 in the afternoon or early-morning, chances are there will be more than a few MTT’s starting up across the major poker sites.

Early Stages MTT Strategy

The early stages of a poker tournament are when you should be taking things easy and looking for simple opportunities to win pots. Don't overdo things early, because busting out at this point is almost unforgivable.

Middle Stages MTT Strategy

Video poker multi

Once you advance to the middle stages of a poker tournament, you should still play fairly conservatively, but it is time to open things up a tad bit. Don't get your money into marginal situations, but don't blind your stack away either.

Playing the Bubble in MTTs

When you get to the bubble it is time to really kick things into a higher gear. The blinds are worth stealing now, and most players will tighten up on the bubble to slide into the money, so there are tons of opportunities to win chips.

Late Stages MTT Strategy

Poker

Now that you have made the money, it is time to start prepping for a final table run. This article will teach you how to steal blinds, grow your stack, and set yourself up for a chance to win the entire tournament.

Final Table MTT Strategy

Congratulations if you have made it this far. At this point you are guaranteed a good return on your investment - your next step is to advance up the ranks and ensure yourself a major payday, or even a 1st place finish.

Taking Calculated Risks in MTTs

At some point in every single tournament you play, you are going to have to take a risk. By taking smart risks you put yourself in position to improve your situation and go deeper in the tournament.

Short Stacks vs. Big Stacks

Playing a short stack is a totally different situation than playing a big stack, and this article explains exactly how you should play each stack to give yourself the best opportunity for a big tournament score.

Luck vs. Skill in MTTs

Everyone knows that luck plays a big role in individual MTTs, but how important is luck in the long run for poker tournament players? Read this article to learn the answer.

Satellite Tournament Strategy

Satellite tournaments are a great way to earn entry into bigger tournaments without risking too much money on buy-ins. This article teaches you the most fool-proof way to advance in a satellite tournament.

Deep Stack Tournament Strategy

Deep stack tournaments allow for a lot more skilled play and a lot less luck. This article teaches you exactly how to play deep stack tournaments to give yourself a great chance at a deep run.

'Go' Plays

Learn about poker 'go' plays, including the stop and go, limp and go, and go and go. We explain each move and discuss how it can earn you money deep in multi table tournaments or sit and gos.

Five More Resources for MTT Learning

Check out this blog post, where Mike details his five favorite poker websites that offer poker tournament strategy. Once you are done reading our MTT strategy section, the sites in this post are the next step.

Take Your MTT Strategy to the Tables

Now that you are an educated online MTT player, make sure to check out our picks for the best poker sites for multi table tournaments. The sites we chose have the most player traffic and the easiest to beat competition.

Many players like to play at more than one poker table at a time online. This is called multi-tabling. You can multi-table real-money cash games, tournaments, or sit-and-gos. If the game is spread online, you will be able to play more than one table.

Multi-tabling poker sites vary. Some poker rooms only allow up to four games simultaneously, while others will allow up to 20 or more. This page lists the top multi-tabling poker rooms, bonuses available to new players and the number of tables you can play at each site.

Why Do Players Multi-Table?

Some players multi-table at poker sites because it’s more fun than playing a single game. Imagine playing a No Limit Holdem freezeout, and in between hands getting some Stud action at a cash game table, too. The lulls in tournament play go by significantly faster when you’ve got cards coming on the side.

Some grinders look at hourly earn rate as the golden metric for success. These players multi-table solely to see more hands per hour. More hands per hour means, generally, more money earned per hour.

Other players want to earn as many player points as possible as quickly as possible. Usually these players are trying to clear bonuses, or to qualify for VIP promotions. More hands per hour means more rake paid, and more rake paid means more player points. Multi-tabling allows bonus grinders to clear promotions faster than usual.

Will Multi-Tabling Poker Sites Hurt My Game?

You may have heard that multi-tabling is a bad idea because it will hurt your game. There is some truth to this, but it depends entirely on the player. If you’re a solid player with a sound knowledge of poker strategy, you can probably play your A-game on up to 6 tables simultaneously. Above this threshold, you’ll have too little time to make important decisions; and thus you’ll end up making sub-optimal choices in a rush.

Some players have the gift of unbreakable focus, and can play great poker on more than 6 tables. Players like this will be able to maintain a solid winrate as they stack on the games; but they won’t be improving while they play. There just isn’t enough time for analysis when new decisions are required every 5 seconds.

The gist of it is that multi-tabling at poker sites uses up a lot of brainpower. It’s a trade-off: you max out your thinking abilities to increase your hourly earn, and give up the chance to improve your game.

Online Poker Multi Table Strategy Tactics

Which Multi-Tabling Poker Sites are Best?

Online Poker Multi Table Tournament Strategy

Any multi-tabling poker site with a four-color deck, an auto-rebuy feature, and advanced table layout options will be great for overloading on games.

An auto-rebuy feature like the one at 888 Poker is also a lifesaver for multi-tabling. When you’re playing cash games, you always want to make sure your stack is fully topped up; but when you’re playing multiple games at once, topping up in between hands can be all but impossible.

Hence why 888 allows you to set a rebuy threshold for your stack. Once your stack falls short of your set threshold, the 888 Poker software will automatically top up your chips to the maximum. This saves you time, hassle, and can prevent costly mistakes.

Can Software Tools Help Me Multi-Table?

If you’re really serious about multi-tabling poker sites, there are tools designed just for you. These include tracking programs, Heads Up Displays (HUDs), and hotkey scripts.

Tracking programs scan your hand histories while you play, and store player data in a database on your computer. A tracking program will run all sorts of calculations and compile a variety of statistics you can then use to analyze both yours and your opponents’ games. The big-name trackers right now are PokerTracker and Holdem Manager.

Online Poker Strategy Tips

A Heads Up Display works in tandem with a tracking program, and displays tracked data right on the multi-tabling poker site’s software. For example when you’re seated at a cash game table, a HUD will automatically show you detailed playing statistics for each of your opponents. You can use these statistics on the fly to help you tailor your strategy to individual opponents. Most tracking programs come with a built-in HUD.

Video Poker Multi

Online poker strategy advanced

Many programmers in the poker community develop and maintain hotkey scripts, which are basically shortcut tools designed to make life easier for poker players.

Online Poker Strategy Advanced

Most hotkey scripts are absolutely free to download and use. If you’re serious about multi-tabling poker sites, you should try as many as you can. Stick with what works for you.

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