PokerStars has launched a new All-in Poker cash game variant in certain regions, bringing fast ‘all-in or fold’ gameplay to players on the COM/EU/DE/EE/RO licenses.
As the name suggests, players only ever have two options in this game: shove all-in, or fold, making this a quick way to get some hands in when your time is at a premium.
In the speedy spirit of the game, here’s a quick rundown of what you need to know:
- Tables are 6-max
- Cash games only, no tourneys
- Buy-ins are capped at 5 big blinds
- Preflop action is capped at 25 big blinds per player
- Six stake levels range from $0.05/0.10 to $5/10, meaning buy-ins range from $5 to $50
While action is restricted to cash games, playing All-in Poker can be useful for tournament players as a way to practice short-stacked push/fold strategies.
A leaderboard for losers?
A series of leaderboards are available from today’s launch, one for each buy-in level and each awarding $10,000 to those who climb to the top. But in an unusual twist, these leaderboards actually award points to those players who lose.
Leaderboard points are accrued on a rolling 25-hand basis, and awarded according to the strength of your losing hands.
The leaderboard promotion runs to February 9.
New format sees Tempest game ‘retired’
PokerStars previously hosted a similar gameplay variant known as Tempest, which has now been removed from the client - in all licenses - after the launch of All-in Poker.
Tempest, which enjoyed a five-year stay in the PokerStars client, employed a similar all-in or fold mechanic but added a few additional quirks of its own. In addition to small and big blinds, a ‘giant blind’ was posted by the player in the UTG position. If all players folded preflop, an ante was introduced, which would increase in size - to a maximum of 1 big blind - until a hand went to the flop.
Push/fold variants are not new to online poker, with opportunities to play this quickfire format currently available on 888poker (‘Push or Fold’), GGPoker (‘All-in or Fold’) and various other platforms.
Whether PokerStars rolls out the format to other markets such as North America, the UK and southern Europe is a question that currently remains unanswered; the operator has been known in the past to trial formats in certain regions before launching globally, but traditionally has opted for smaller markets rather than launching in the far-reaching .COM license.
Featured image courtesy of Jules Pochy/Rational Intellectual Holdings Ltd
