PokerBrit’s Blog

Playing multiple tables for the first time can be tricky. For those of you who are new to the concept of “multi-tabling”, like me, it means to have more than one window/game going at once. This is a great way to multiply your chances of winning and also to keep game-play interesting when you come across those boring matches. However, it’s not as easy as it sounds— I recently tried playing multiple tables and it significantly lowered my ability to make better/smarter choices. Gaining leads on people and assessing my hand strength at a moments notice seemed to be my biggest challenges. So, I researched some tips that can help new poker players, such as myself, gain more of an upper hand when playing multi tables.

Keep it simple
Take advantage of colored decks and rotatable player positions. In the SpadeClub lobby you can go to options on the toolbar at the top of the screen and select colored cards. This allows you to quickly pick up same suits and potential flushes that you might otherwise miss while skimming through hands in multiple windows. Also, use the rotate button at the bottom left of your screen to keep your in game position the same. It makes it easier to flip from table to table.

More tables doesn’t mean more winning
Don’t assume that just because you are opening ten tables that your winnings will increase ten-fold! This seems to be a common mistake for many rookie multi-players as they take on more than they can handle. Most new players take more time when making a decision each turn, and having the pressure of timed decisions can cause you to rush your turn. Start with just two tables, and as you get comfortable and your ability increases, you can continue to add more tables.

Don’t mix your game types when playing multi tables
Since you will be rapidly switching between several games at once it is best to keep the game type the same for all of them so that you are not making silly mistakes. It will allow you to devote more brain power to opening more tables, rather than thinking “oh, so is omaha/no limit?” This is especially important since, like me, you are most likely still grasping all the rules and regulations of different games.

Remove unnecessary distractions
Ok, so I may have made some poor decisions while multi-tabling because of Facebook, twitter, IM, you name it. You are multi-tabling, not multi-tasking. Limit any outside distractions as much as possible so you can focus on one thing—winning! It also may help you to turn off in-game chat so that you do not get focused on one game for the wrong reasons, while neglecting your others. That would completely defeat the purpose of multi-tabling!

Play Tight, Aggressive
You are losing the advantage of realizing trends and making strategic moves against certain players. To make up for this you will need to play only the best cards so that when you go in, you can go in strong. Newer players should especially take advantage of the SpadeClub hand helper to know which pocket hands are the strongest to go in with. With multiple tables you should no longer be going in with marginal hands due to lack of patience.

So hopefully this gives you a foundation for starting in the world of multi-tabling. Just remember to start simple, with just two tables at a time, and increase tables up as your skill improves. Hopefully this will give you better chances at winning some of the great SpadeClub promotions. Check them out if you haven’t already.

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I’ve been using twitter since January and love it! It’s slowly replacing my best friend, here’s why: Twitter always listens, Twitter always wants to hear about everything I’m doing or at least it makes me feel that way, and Twitter goes everywhere with me because of my fabulous blackberry. If you haven’t joined the bandwagon of online community addicts you should give it a try. My twitter account: http://twitter.com/PokerBrit

Let me know if you have one so we can follow each other!

It’s not hard to recognize a poker pro like Mike “The Mouth” Matusow; although, you may likely hear him before you see him. Matusow, nicknamed “The Mouth”, is one of the most vocal, entertaining and experienced players around. Matusow, who has close to $7 million in tournament winnings, is a three-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner, and the 2005 World Series of Poker Tournament of Champions winner. When Matusow sat down with me, he was more than happy to share his uninhibited charisma and advice for new poker players.

PokerBrit: What advice would you give a brand new player?

Mike “The Mouth” Matusow: The main advice I like to give to new players is to play solid cards and stay patient. You don’t need to bluff. You can learn to bluff later on, but basically stay fundamentally solid and wait to pick up cards and for people to give them your money.

PB: So, new players should stay tight?

MM: Yes, I play tight. You stay tight until you pick the right table where other players are playing tight, and then you loosen up.

PB: What’s the most common mistake you see a new player making?

MM: They think their getting bluffed. So, they call off their chips and they don’t fold.

PB: What tools would you recommend a new player to use to learn the game?

MM: Put in hours, play lots and lots of hours. The more hours you play the better you get.

According to Matusow, playing premium hands and learning the discipline of being patient is essential for new poker players. Generally, new players need to consider position when deciding whether they have a premium hand or not. Most new players get too excited about playing and want to get in on the action, even when their hands aren’t ideal. Remember to be patient. The premium hand is coming; you just have to wait for it. You’ll last longer in the game and make more money in the end if you make yourself fold weak hands. Learning to be patient is one of the first goals a new player should focus on.
Matusow’s bluffing advice is essential for new players. Do not make a call just because you believe you are being bluffed. If you are playing tight, you should wait for your spot, when you know you have the best hand, to put your chips in the pot. Bluffing and knowing when you are being bluffed is a tricky and advanced skill that most new players will acquire over time and shouldn’t practice in the beginning.

PokerBrit sits down with Mike Matusow