Full Tilt Poker are the pioneers of the new “Fast Poker” type of game called Rush Poker, the latest craze in the poker world.
The whole purpose of Rush Poker is to minimise the wait between each hand you play, meaning you will see a lot more hands in a hour than you would during a normal poker game.
What is Rush Poker: How Does it Work?
Those who are clearing their Full Tilt bonus should play Rush Poker. If you haven’t figured out why yet, Rush Poker allows you to play more hands in the same amount of time. The more hands you play, the faster your bonus clears. Let’s see how much faster. Full Tilt Points are awarded to Rush Poker players in exactly the same way as if you were playing a standard game. If you quick fold a hand and are taken to another table before the hand has finished, the points gained from the table you have just folded from will be awarded in the same way once that particular hand has finished.
In a normal poker game if you fold your cards you then have to sit and watch your opponents play out the rest of the hand before starting the next hand.
The concept behind Rush Poker is that as soon as you fold your hand you are no longer active at the current table and are “rushed” off to a new table to immediately start a new hand against a new set of opponents.
Instead of playing against a single table of opponents you are playing against a large pool of mobile opponents. This means you will face different opponents every hand, which, if you are a player who likes to study the way people play at a table before making any moves, this format may not be suited to you.
You can even shorten the time between hands by using the Quick Fold button before it is your turn to act to quickly move away on to another table and the next hand without waiting. This means you are always in the action, can play an incredible number of hands compared to the normal version of poker and have a lot of fun.
How Can I Play Rush Poker?
Rush Poker can be played in both cash game or tournament formats. You will need to ensure you have the Full Tilt Poker Software installed.
To access a list of available Rush Poker games in the lobby, you need to set the browse area at the top of the game lobby up as follows:
- First choose Rush Poker in the first set of options at the bottom of the list.
- In the second set of options choose the type of poker game you wish to play.
- Then in the last two sets of options choose the type of betting limit and the stakes you wish to play from Micro stakes all the way up to the highest available stakes. You can choose as many of these as you like to widen the range of tables that will be presented to you.
- You also need to ensure you have chosen the real money check box at the top right hand corner of the lobby.
Options to select in the Standard View to see the list of Rush Poker Games
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After making your selections, the software will search for all available tables and present you with a list. Each table line will tell you the following:
- Name of the table, the Stake Level (small blind / big blind) and the Game Type
- How many people are currently playing and the number of players per table ( e.g. 257 total players / 9 players per table)
- The Average Pot size, % of players seeing each flop and how many hands per hour on average the players are seeing
List of all available games will be presented for you to choose from
When you have found the game of your choice then double click on the table in the lobby to enter the game and select “Join Now” to join in and start playing.
Click on the “Join Now” button in the top right corner to start playing
If you use the Basic View lobby then the steps are very similar to the instructions above. The main difference with the basic view is you can target the specific stake level that you wish to play unlike the standard view which gives you a range of stakes like “Low”.
Please note that Rush Poker is not available in the Classic lobby view and to play you will need to change the view to either Basic or Standard View. To change this open up the Lobby Menu at the top of the main screen and highlight Choose Lobby View.
Rush Poker Strategy: How to Win
Although Rush Poker is a innovative way to speed up the waiting time between hands, the way you actually play each hand is no different to normal. The actions available to you are exactly the same and you take the same decisions as you would normally.
It does present a different set of challenges though and you do need to change your approach to the game and strategy in order to come out with a profit.
How do the Blinds Work?
A big question asked by many players is “How do the blinds work if you are constantly being moved from table to table?” To select who’s turn it is to post a blind, the software calculates which player at the table has gone the longest with out posting a blind.
If there is more than one player on the same time then the big blind is chosen randomly between these players. This only works for the big blind as the small blind and all other seating positions are completely random.
Premium Hands
Due to the format of Rush Poker, your opponents will be folding most of their marginal and low quality hands. This means that you have to tighten up your game also and look to only play premium hands. Premium Hands such as A-A, K-K, Q-Q are hands you are looking for and should be played confidently.
Drawing premium hands such as A-K and A-Q and middle pairs such as J-J, 10-10 and 9-9 should be played but with caution. Just bear in mind that you be faced with the high premium pairs more often that usual from your opponents.
All other hands are marginal hands which you should be extremely cautious about getting involved with. Another thing to remember is that even if you make a strong hand on the flop / turn / river always be aware of the increased risk of someone holding a better hand simply due to the fact that your opponents are playing with better cards than normal in Rush Poker.
Steal from the Button
Making a raise to steal the blinds whilst you are sat on the Button can be a very profitable play in Rush Poker, simply for the fact that a lot of players are very eager to fold in this format, and sometimes won’t even pay attention to the position they are in.
This will have a higher success rate than in a normal game and even if sometimes you are re-raised and have to fold, you should take the pot more times than not and make a profit.
Related to this also, is the fact that it is really not worth defending your own blind in the reverse of this situation. In a normal game when you are playing against the same opponents for a period of time, it can be sometimes necessary to demonstrate that they can’t push you around and constantly steal your blinds. However when you are playing against a mobile set of opponents this “show of strength” is futile.
Take Notes on your Opponents
The Full Tilt Poker software has a built in feature that allows you to take notes on each of your opponents individually by right clicking on their avatar. These notes can then be accessed if you play against the player another time.
Now you might ask, what is the point in taking notes on opponents if I am going to be playing against new opponents in the next hand? The thing to remember is you are playing against a pool of opponents, and although your opponents will change each hand, they will always be selected from the same pool and you will play against the same opponent multiple times during a session.
If you don’t take notes, then chances are you won’t remember over the fuzz of all the players your brain is processing, so if you spot a trait that could help you in a future hand, then note it down.
Don’t Multi Table
It is possible to multi table with Rush Poker but this is really not recommended unless you are a experienced multi table player. Rush Poker by design is a very fast paced and frantic game and just playing one table will keep you more than occupied, let alone trying to play at two or more tables at the same time. You are bound to make poor decisions under that sort of pressure, so just stick to a single game.
Full Tilt Rush Poker Strategy Download
Full Tilt Points
Full Tilt Rush Poker Strategy Games
Full Tilt Points are awarded to Rush Poker players in exactly the same way as if you were playing a standard game. If you quick fold a hand and are taken to another table before the hand has finished, the points gained from the table you have just folded from will be awarded in the same way once that particular hand has finished.
The Happy Hour also applies awarding double or triple points so this is a very good way of raking up your Full Tilt points, especially if you have a Full Tilt bonus to clear.
Don’t be Late – Try Rush Poker Now
Some people love the idea of Rush Poker, others prefer normal poker. If you like the sound of it, then it’s worth giving it a go.
Full Tilt Rush Poker Strategy Game
It’s simple to get started, just download the Full Tilt Poker software by clicking the box below to open your free player account – It takes less than 5 minutes
Beginners Guide To Beating Fast Fold Poker Tournaments Including PokerStars' Zoom, 888's 'SNAP' and iPoker's 'Speed Holdem'
Fast Fold Poker has gone from being a novelty, to being an established part of the online poker setup - with more and more sites hosting variations with names like Speed Holdem, Strobe, Zoom and of course the softest of them all - SNAP poker at 888. Whenever I play tournaments in these formats there are people making simple errors. Some of these are just inexperienced people splashing around, but most of the time they are failures to adjust to the fast-fold format. This article covers the many different types of Fast Fold poker tournaments and highlights the key differences in strategy compared to regular format games (and of course the parts which remain the same).
After the strategy you'll find a short section comparing what is on offer in these games at different sites side-by-side. There are some huge differences in the experience levels of the typical opponents at different sites. 888 and Party are the softest overall in 2020, with Stars generally much tougher.
Though fast fold poker has the same rules and betting as normal Texas Holdem, the difference in dynamics of the game means that a player must adapt their playing style to two key factors. These are that it is easy to fold junk, and most players will do so. Secondly, the feeling of anonymity leads many players into playing very predictably. This makes any notes you take (or HUD Stats you collect) extremely valuable in fast fold tourneys.
Early Stage Fast Fold Poker Tournament Strategy:
Due to the ability of players to quickly fold their hand instantly Fast Fold tournaments and multi-table sit and goes are a lot tighter than normal tournaments, with one important early stage difference. A small but significant number of opponents will raise almost every hand, thinking they are taking advantage of the ‘Quick Fold’ tendencies of opponents. This might not be a bad strategy if the same players understood position or post flop play – the fact that when they are called they often spew huge amounts of chips, negating the effectiveness of the aggressive start. On average, the hands you see shown down in Fast Fold MTTs are stonger than in a slower format game. If you are constantly trying to overcome this card-strength disadvantage with post-flop play then you are fighting an uphill battle. You need to stay tight from early position and wait for spots against known opponents to make big moves before the flop without the goods.
I recommend you fold non-premium unpaired high-card hands to any raise from early position while in the early stages, and restrict your calling ranges to pairs and suited connectors / suited aces when deep enough. Remember you will often be facing a big hand, and stand to win a big pot those times your small pair hits a concealed set. Remember to take notes on any usual bet sizes, do not wait until the end of the hand, click while in action and fill in the details when you have a moment. Since your opponent is proportionally more likely to have a value hand when they are raising, you should 3 bet bigger for value when you hold a premium hand yourself - if you are more likely to get called then why not extract the maximum value?
A solid 'ABC' approach, emphasizing position and making sure you are the raiser rather than the caller, will work wonders in the early stages of a Fast Fold Poker tournament – you will get to take advantage not only of the ‘raisy-crazy’ types, but the ‘fold all but premiums’ nits too while you accumulate chips.
Mid Stage Fast Fold Poker Tournament Strategy:
In the mid stages you have hopefully picked up a decent stack to work with. If you haven’t you must keep to rather standard play with a push / fold strategy sooner rather than later, the blinds will be going up fast in Zoom / SNAP Poker – and passive players will quickly get left behind. For me there are very few circumstances where it would be better to blind away any fold equity (ability to get opponents to fold) before getting those chips in - take a reasonable hand, a reasonable position and take a shot at getting back into the game before it is too late!
During the middle stages the ‘menace of mini-raisers’ can become apparent. With many opponents deliberately doubling the big blind with a wide range of hands to take advantage of the fact that opponents with ‘tricky stack sizes’ will often fold even strong hands rather than risk calling. My tip is to take notes, you will start to see the same players raising (or 3-betting) again and again as you get to the middle stages, and knowing who is a ‘serial mini-raiser’ can give you the opportunity to re-steal for some nice pre-flop pots. This same 'notes' tactic works will bet sizing too. So many players get suckered into feeling that their play is not being watched, if you spot someone who (for example) bets 2/3rds of pot when they missed the flop and half-pot when they are strong you take take massive advantage. The best thing about this tactic is that your opponent might never know that you have a read on them.
Staying aggressive and picking up blinds and antes is also important during the middle stages. Being aware of your stack size and the number of chips held by opponents will also help you decide on a play – remember very big stacks and extra small stacks are the ones most likely to call you as you approach the bubble.
Final Stage Fast Fold Poker Strategy:
Fast blinds mean that the majority of players will be in push / fold mode as the tables become short-handed towards the end of the game. This gives thinking players a great advantage, since the type of players who play Speed Holdem / SNAP tournaments are not the ‘grinders’ who will be aware of prize pool equity models such as ICM.
One of the biggest mistakes I saw in the late stages of Fast Fold tournaments is to fold too often. That is to say there are many opportunities due to specific opponents, stack to blind ratios and even pure desire for more chips where any two cards can be profitably pushed from the button or small blind. Failing to do this is simply giving away equity. Your notes will be a big help at this stage, an opponent who over-valued Ace-Eight (for example) in the early stages is likely to call on the final table bubble with exactly this type of hand – so beware!
Once you are down to 9 players the play returns to a ‘normal’ final table format, with the seats fixed. With shallow stacks compared to the blinds play is likely to be aggressive and fast. You should focus again on the mid-stacks and try to work out who is playing to move up the payout scale and who is going for the win. Check my article on Tournament Final Table Strategy for more on the specific strategies for this this part of the game.
Fast Fold Poker Tournaments - What Are The Differences And Which Is The Best?
PokerStars introduced Zoom tournaments for their MicroMillions Event a few years ago. These games are now available as part of their regular schedule with buy-ins of between $2.20c and $16,50c. These games have a red 'Z' next to them in the tournament lobby and Guaranteed prize pools of between $500 and $5k. Blinds go up every 5 minutes, a similar schedule to their normal 'Turbo' tournaments and fairly slow when you consider the number of hands it is possible to play in Zoom games. There are sure to be some bigger buy-in events added, and already some huge guarantees in place for the next online poker event (the SCOOP). You can currently play Zoom tournaments in Pot Limit Omaha and NL Holdem format. With the merger of the player pools of Full Tilt to PokerStars, the old Rush Poker tournaments are no more... its Zoom all the way. While you'll get bigger fields and bigger guarantees in PokerStars' games, in general your opponents will be better / more experienced and more likely to understand the strategy adjustments... other, more recreational, sites are a better bet.
iPoker has Speed Holdem in tournament format. These are smaller buy-in games (€10 and under) and rarely attract fields of more than around 150 players. You will find some players who know what they are doing - though on the whole the fields are noticably more recreational than at PokerStars. This would be my top pick (via Titan Poker), if it was not for one site which has a really soft alternative.
Planet Mark's 2018 Pick: 888 Poker's SNAP Poker Tournaments
888 went 'all-in' on creating a site for recreational / amateur type players - and you can tell the difference when you play. Their fast fold poker game is called 'SNAP' and like elsewhere you'll find it in cash game and tournament format. The tournaments are crazy, the fields manageable (up to 200 typically) and the buy-ins are on the smaller end of the scale. These games are a great place to get started, you'll have to dodge some suckouts from people who call with crazy hands - though there are rarely better opportunities to build a stack. I recommend you play a Stars and 888 Poker fast fold tournament side-by-side - the difference is a real eye opener.
You can get $88 free to try out the real money games (no deposit or credit card needed), which includes SNAP tournaments. See www.888poker.com for details.