Playing Multiple Hands Of Online Poker Simultaneously

There comes a time in every poker player's learning curve when the temptation to make things a 'little more interesting' arrives. You're sitting waiting for someone who has just been disconnected from the game to rejoin and you think to yourself, 'If I had another window open playing at another table I would not be so bored.'

Many of the online poker rooms allow you to open multiple windows and play multiple tables at the same time. PokerStars.com is just one such site, although a significant number of sites also allow this.

Initially, playing at more than one table adds a whole new and exciting dimension to the game. You are more inclined to throw away a junk hand so you can concentrate more on the other table, where your hand is good. Sometimes the action really heats up when both tables are requiring you to make a decision at almost the same time. Many players just love this added pressure and excitement.

Sometimes a player will even get lucky on one table and this can certainly ease the pain of a bad beat at the other table.

Okay so that is the concept, now here is the reality:

YOU MUST NEVER PLAY MORE THAN ONE TABLE!!!

Unless your counter argument to this is, "What do you know, I am a professional poker player and have been for many years!" then consider this the best advice you are going to read today.

Playing multiple poker tables online is always a bad idea, and for those of you who prefer some logical reasoning as opposed to big red letters here are some arguments:

• Playing more than one table allows you to miss certain important nuances of the game such as online tells, you may miss critical information and therefore your bankroll.
• You begin to play the cards and not the people, remember poker is a people game that just happens to be played with cards.
• Are you really such a good player that you can remember the actions of sixteen other players even when you are distracted?
• It is often possible to confuse the board cards from one table with another or accidentally fold a winning hand because you clicked in the wrong place or on the wrong window.
• Do you really believe that you outclass all of your opponents at both tables you are playing to such an extent that you can beat them whilst distracted and without carefully watching their every move?

Most players have dabbled on the dark side and played multiple tables at one time or another. But ultimately it will lead to bad things happening. One of the biggest challenges in becoming better than a novice poker player is learning patience and becoming absorbed in the flow of the game. Watch every facet of the game, make notes on your opponents playing habits so you can exploit that information later. Look for every sign of weakness or any tell you can to determine where you stand in the hand. If you are bored by poker try bingo, because if you are bored it is because you either don't like poker or have failed to learn what you should be watching for.

Next time you play online poker try playing with only one window open on your computer; just the table you are playing at. Concentrate and follow the action, even when you are not in the hand. It may not seem as exciting at first but as you start to win more games and your 'poker sense' allows you to call down another player with ace high because you know he is bluffing, you will begin to realize the value of playing poker one table at a time.

Good luck!