If you’re trying to figure out how many hands of online poker you can play per hour, the answer depends heavily on the game format and number of tables. The reason I prefer online poker is because it’s considerably faster than live poker.
Back when I played live poker, I might see 20-30 hands per hour, as opposed to online poker where you can reach up to 60-100 hands on a single table. In this guide I will break down how many online poker hands you can play per hour so you can see how these numbers quickly add up over longer sessions.
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How Many Hands of Online Poker Per Hour?
I wanted to make this easy to understand so I created a table giving you the different formats with the number of players at each table. I also think this will be useful as a baseline for most of you trying to understand more concrete numbers if you are looking to take the game more seriously.
| Online Poker Format | Approximate Hands Per Hour |
|---|---|
| 9-Max Cash Game | 55–75 |
| 6-Max Cash Game | 70–100 |
| Heads-Up Poker | 120–200 |
| Sit & Go | 60–100 |
| Online Tournament | 50–80 |
| Fast-Fold Poker | 180–300+ |
How Many Hands Per Hour When Multi-Tabling?
This is another reason I lean more into online poker especially because of multi tabling. While I don’t think it’s for everyone you can considerably put in more volume to help weed out variance and get your hourly return up if you are a winning player at the stake you are playing. I think most people who are new to the game should keep it at one table for awhile but eventually scale up to at least 2 tables provided they are winning like I just mentioned. Here are some numbers on what things could look like if you are multi tabling.
| Number of Tables | Estimated Hands Per Hour |
|---|---|
| 1 Table | 80 |
| 2 Tables | 160 |
| 4 Tables | 320 |
| 6 Tables | 480 |
| 8 Tables | 640 |
| 12 Tables | 960 |
Why Hands Per Hour Matter
The more you dive into these numbers you can start to figure out poker volume for how you’re playing over a meaningful sample size. I’ve often thought of anything over 30,000 hands to be enough data to see if you are a winning player at the stake you are playing.
This is a strong baseline because results fluctuate considerably over short periods of time. A few hundred hands are going to tell you little about how you are doing or if you are profitable. Once you start to put in higher volume meaning thousands or even hundreds of thousands of hands, you can start to see what’s happening. Knowing the number of hands, you’re playing per hour can help you carve out time during the week to sit and play and then analyze after playing so many hands. You can also figure out your hourly by hands played as well. I think this is extremely useful for most players.
Does Playing More Tables Make You More Profitable?
Playing more poker tables can increase your hourly profit, but only if you can maintain a solid level of play. Which is a big if. The biggest advantage of multi-tabling is volume. If you are a winning player and can play four tables instead of one, you have the chance to make more money in the same amount of time.
The problem is that adding more tables usually means you have less time to think through each decision. You may miss betting patterns, overlook player tendencies, or make more automatic decisions. For some players, this can cause their win rate to drop enough that the extra volume is no longer worth it.
For example, you might win at 6 big blinds per 100 hands while playing two tables, but only 2 big blinds per 100 hands while playing eight. Even though you are playing more hands, your overall results may not improve as much as expected. The best approach is to add tables slowly and track your results. That is how I like to do it.
How Many Hours to Play 30,000 Online Poker Hands?
The amount of time it takes to play 30,000 online poker hands depends mostly on how many tables you play at once. If you average around 80 hands per hour on one standard table, reaching 30,000 hands would take about 375 hours.
Playing multiple tables cuts that time considerably. Two tables at roughly 160 hands per hour would take around 188 hours, while four tables at 320 hands per hour would take about 94 hours. A six-table setup producing around 480 hands per hour could reach 30,000 hands in approximately 63 hours.
Fast-fold poker can be even quicker. At 250 hands per hour on one fast-fold table, you could play 30,000 hands in about 120 hours. These are only estimates. Table speed, game format, breaks, time-bank usage, and how quickly other players act can all affect your actual number of hands per hour.
Final Thoughts
When you look at the baseline of online poker giving you anywhere between 60-100 hands per hour over what live poker can give you, I think it’s easy to see why most people including myself prefer online. I also think short handed cash games are the way to go because they force you to become a better player through learning to be more aggressive and put opponents on ranges.
Most online games are still easy to beat at most stakes until you get to some of the higher limit games. But being able to multi table is another huge advantage as long you can prove yourself profitable over the course of playing so many hands. I do think once you reach around 30,000 hands at whatever stake you’re playing that’s when you can have enough data to see how you’re doing.
In the short term over the course of hundreds of hands, you won’t exactly know how you’re doing. But after putting in so many hours and seeing tens of thousands of hands you can start to get an idea of where you’re at. I think this is such an advantage when it comes to playing online poker.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many hands of online poker can you play per hour?
Most online poker players will see around 60 to 100 hands per hour at a standard table. Six-max games are usually faster than full-ring tables because fewer players need to act before each hand is completed.
How many hands can you play when multi-tabling?
If you average 80 hands per hour per table, playing four tables could put you around 320 hands per hour. The exact number depends on the poker site, game speed, and how often you use your time bank.
Is fast-fold poker quicker?
Yes. Fast-fold poker can produce around 180 to 300 hands per hour on a single table because you are moved to a new hand immediately after folding.
Is online poker faster than live poker?
Online poker is much faster. A live poker table often deals around 20 to 30 hands per hour, while a standard online table can deal two or three times that amount. Which is why I prefer online.
Does playing more hands improve your results?
Not automatically. More hands give you more volume, but profit still depends on your win rate and decision-making. Playing too many tables at once can hurt your concentration and reduce the quality of your decisions.
Edward Pao is an online poker and casino affiliate marketer with over 10 years of experience in the industry. He has referred over 30,000 players to major poker platforms and specializes in reviewing the best online poker sites and casino bonuses.