Is it worth playing zoom poker? Strategy for playing fast poker. Characteristic changes in the game

Zoom poker is a new product from poker rooms, which has already developed into a separate direction.

The distinctive features of the game can be called its dynamics. The competitions are really exciting and interesting. Instead of fighting with a dozen opponents, it is possible to participate in a total of up to two hundred tables with a couple of thousand opponents at a time.

From this it becomes immediately clear that the poker strategy for zoom poker is indeed very difficult.

At the initial stage of the competition, everything appears in its traditional form. But as soon as a participant decides to fold and does so, he will immediately be dealt the next set and the poker player will automatically move to a new table. It follows from this that when playing zoom poker, there is no need to wait for the end of the current fight; the player enters a new battle with lightning speed.

To do this, just press the specially designed key “ fast fold"as many times as you like. This should be done until you receive a suitable set with which the participant is ready to go into battle and win. Based on this, we can say that the zoom poker strategy begins when the poker player himself makes a decision which of the dropped combinations is best suited, and there is no need to discard it, but can safely enter the game.

This tempting prospect has generated a large number of adherents to this type of competition. But the zoom poker strategy is full of other attractive innovations that are also worth considering in more detail.

Characteristic changes in the game

What are the main differences of this competition, according to which the zoom poker strategy can be adjusted?

7 differentiating factors:

1. A short history of distributions. In traditional games, the situation develops as follows: opponents know that a participant raises the button several times in a row. Zoom poker dictates its own rules. This is impossible here. The opponent does not have information about the number of times the player raises.
2. The obvious facts lie on the surface and are understandable to both the poker player and his opponents. A competition strategy of this type implies the emergence of difficulties when forming notes on opponents. As soon as one combination is played, a new set of opponents at the next table appears before the participant, as if from a blank slate. The opponents are unknown, what their skills, technique and strategy are is a mystery.
3. Speed. For those who are trying to figure out how to play zoom poker, it will be nice to know the following difference: there is no need to wait. Regular wrestling involves participation in several tables. This guarantees a greater number of active draws. But the zoom poker strategy provides the opportunity to discard unsuitable sets until such a card arrives with which the participant is ready to test his own strength and enter into battle.
4. The need to set blinds remains unchanged. Even in a situation where a “quick fold” is a tempting prospect, you still won’t be able to sit out and wait for the aces to come.
5. Number of hands. The strategy for playing zoom poker provides the prospect of playing a larger number of sets over a certain period of time. This means that you can take part in fewer tables. It would be correct to start with just one; you can also add only at the moment when there is a well-founded confidence: “Now it is important to allow yourself this action.”
6. Information. All information that is at the player’s disposal must be skillfully applied; it is important to take into account and implement any information for the benefit of your game. Here it would be correct to pay attention to the number of opponents at the table, take into account the player’s own position, and the size of the opponents’ stacks. Based on the above information, it is important to form your decision about the set draw.
7. Players' style. Most often, zoom poker involves a tight game of behavior for the player. This can be quite logically explained by the presence of the “quick fold” button.

When you theoretically become familiar with the changes that characterize this type of competition, you get the impression that these are simple truths that are understandable to absolutely everyone. But, as practice shows, the consequences during the competition may not be the most optimistic if you approach familiarization with the changes superficially, without going deeper.

Advantages of ZOOM

Zoom poker has actually become the choice of the majority. A wide range of advantages has allowed us to gain stable positions among other types of competitions.

The obvious advantages include the following:

• Ease of starting a gaming session;
• At the tables there is a high probability of meeting a participant with little experience;
• If you have the chance to fight with one opponent more than once, this will allow you to better understand his behavior and make notes about his game as a whole;
• In such a fight, it is easier to reach the VIP level due to a larger number of played sets within an hour.

Thus, the strategy for playing zoom poker becomes clear, but it is also important to appreciate that in this type of competition there is much less time to choose one or another action to continue the fight.

Without sufficient experience, only this factor can negatively affect the analysis of the current situation. When the cards are folded, the player cannot observe how events developed further. Unless, by holding down the CTRL button after folding, you have a chance to watch and find out how the hand ended.

Proper analysis, study and evaluation of all changes can be a good basis for achieving victory.

But, no matter what approach this or that player chooses for himself: to thoroughly understand or learn all the secrets of the game during the competition itself, everyone is driven by the tempting prospect of increasing the total number of played combinations up to 400% per hour.

Zoom poker format is well known to players PokerStars – it was in this online room that it appeared in the form in which it now exists. However, for the first time fast poker called Rush Poker was offered by the room Full Tilt even before the merger with PokerStars. Nowadays, quite a lot of players prefer to play Zoom poker at cash tables and tournaments. Playing this game, it is important to consider its features, advantages and disadvantages.

What is the Zoom format in poker?

Actually, Zoom poker is a type of fast poker that you can play at PokerStars. main feature– the ability to declare a quick fold. The player does not have to wait until the decision turn to leave the hand. Having made a Fold, he not only discards the cards, but also immediately becomes a participant in the new distribution, moving to the table where it begins. This type of poker has a number of significant advantages compared to a regular cash game:

• A poker player can significantly increase the number of hands played per unit of time;
• The player can increase profits per session;
• Fast poker is an excellent alternative to multi-table games;
• Most opponents play tight or use a ready-made strategy to get rakeback;
• No need to waste time choosing tables;
• The game becomes more dynamic and interesting.

Previously, most players used a multi-table game to increase profits at the usual limit by increasing the number hands played per session. However, multitabling is not suitable for all players, since it is inconvenient to play at several tables on a small monitor size or from a mobile device. In addition, not every player has the reaction speed required to successfully play at several tables at the same time. Zoom poker has solved all these problems, but it also has disadvantages:

• Each new hand the opponents change, which makes it difficult to use observations of them in the game;
• Drawing up notes (notes on opponents) becomes a more labor-intensive process;
• Playing Zoom poker requires stricter bankroll management;
• You need to get used to the dynamism of the game.

When planning how to play Zoom poker in terms of strategy, it is important to take these disadvantages into account. Currently, at PokerStars you can play the following disciplines, which are played in the fast poker format:

• BL Hold’em and PL Omaha – very popular;
• Omaha Hi-Lo – average popularity;
• FL Hold'em and 5-card draw - low popularity.

Many experienced players use Zoom poker to wager bonuses. Here, by playing at only one table, you can significantly increase the number of hands played, and therefore the rake generation. This way, you can quickly collect the required number of bonus points to turn the bonus into real money.

What is Zoom in Tournament Poker?

A number of tournament events are also held in the format Zoom poker on PokerStars. The principle of play in such tournaments is similar to fast cash tables. The only difference is that during the game the number of opponents is constantly decreasing, and new players appear only during the late registration period. As the tables get smaller, the game switches to a classic format, for example when there are 18 or 27 participants left, depending on the tournament rules.

The advantage of tournaments held in the Zoom format is that the game flows faster when compared to regular events with the same number of participants.

How to play Zoom poker

A player who successfully plays at classic tables can achieve similar results in Zoom poker. However, when forming a strategy, the following points should be taken into account:

Change of position – at each new table the position is determined by the random method - randomly. You can pay the Blinds twice in a row or not place them for more than ten hands in a row. You should take into account your losses on the Blinds in order to compensate for them in a timely manner. Position becomes more important than observing opponents;

Unfamiliar rivals – you will have little information about your opponents, and observing them will be difficult, given their number. However, a similar situation will arise for them - they will have a minimum of information about you;

Features of Blinds – the player in the big blind, the only participant in the hand who cannot make a quick fold right away. He can fold cards only after one of his opponents rises. This needs to be taken into account! In Zoom poker, players are much more likely to defend their Blinds from steals (attempts to "steal"). You should choose your hands more carefully in order to steal the Blinds;

Bankroll management – for Zoom poker you should have more buy-ins than for regular cash tables. It is advisable to have a bankroll in the range of 45-70 buy-ins. Having raised the stack to 150BB, you should leave the table and sit down again with the original stack.

Tracking experienced opponents – despite the fact that it is more difficult to observe opponents, it is worth paying attention to experienced players. The ability to watch the rest of the hand without leaving the table after folding will help you with this. Experienced players should be celebrated.

Entry into trading with an increase – you should practically forget about limping, since in Zoom poker you should not enter trades without raising. You should always enter the trades with a raise, and use Cold Call only in multipots with pocket pairs and suited connectors.

Analyze your game regularly, which will allow you to adjust the range of hands and identify errors.

Remember that the ability to fold quickly attracts many players, especially inexperienced ones. They often do nothing but press this button, expecting to receive good pocket cards in the next hand. Your task is not to do this, but to realize the potential of all promising hands for each specific position.

Zoom poker is an interesting and dynamic game that allows you to get increased profits with a competent strategic approach. When getting acquainted with this type of poker, it is recommended to start playing at a lower limit than you prefer at regular cash tables. You may need time to adapt to such a game and adjust your strategy. Reducing the limits will reduce possible losses.

The game is fun and fast and can make a lot of money if you know what to do. So we decided to ask some of the best players in this area about exactly how to beat the insanely fast Zoom Poker fields.

If you've been awake for the past six months, you've probably noticed how much Zoom Poker has grown in popularity on PokerStars. The essence of Zoom is that all the players at its tables are stacked into one large pool, divided into limits, where you get a new seat at the table, where the hand begins, almost the same second you fold your hand.

Thanks to the fast fold button, you can fold your hand at almost any time in the game, jumping from hand to hand until you find yourself where you would like to play. As a result of all these features, despite the fact that the game essentially retains all the characteristics of a classic cash game, it requires a special approach.

Cash games are played in both full ring and 6-max formats with bet ranges from $0.01/$0.02 to $2.50/$5.00 and you can play at up to four tables at once, both Hold'em and Omaha . Considering the fact that you can play 4 times more hands than usual in the same amount of time, you'll be faced with a ton of action. This means that mistakes and edges will also fly by much faster and more unnoticed. So try to make sure that you are the one sitting on the edge and forcing others to make mistakes.

Getting used to Zoom

The speed of the game is predetermined by the fact that players can auto-fold out of turn, allowing them to move on to the next table without even having to watch the rest of the pre-flop actions of other players. The only exception is the player sitting in the big blind, who must wait until all other players have had their say.

It is logical to assume that most players will fold most of their marginal hands, since they can quickly move on to a better hand immediately after folding them. And in general, this is true. But as soon as a trend appears in a game, there are players who learn to take advantage of it. If you can learn to make money on both categories of these players, you will be able to make good money at these tables.

“Some players prefer a tighter style of play because they can easily play a fast-fold with all the trash on their hands and immediately move on to a new hand,” says Dale “Daleroxxu” Philip. “Others prefer to play looser to gain an advantage over those who play tighter. Therefore, it is vital for us to collect as much information as possible on our rivals. Without knowing who is a “nit” and who is a “lag,” one could simply play blind.”

And although you can use some kind of PokerTracker for these purposes, you really don’t need to spend a lot of time to start understanding your opponents. You can simply click after a couple of hands with some player right click mouse over the person’s avatar and make a short note about him. Notes like these can be incredibly helpful because while it may seem like every hand is being played at a new table with new people, this is actually not the case.

“In regular ring games, you will get to know your opponents more and more with each hand, which means you will gain information that will allow you to play better against them in future hands. When you play zoom, your opponents and their positions change with each hand, but you will still find yourself at the same table with the same people quite often (at least during the same session). And that's why it's so important to take notes on your opponents to keep track of who you're playing against now,” says Philip.

However, the biggest edge in these games is still your HUD. Most players don't bother setting up the HUD in zoom, as it's quick and easy. fun game for amateur players. But this does not mean that you should deny yourself the opportunity to make money there. “Information is power. If you have the information and your opponents treat zoom as a game that can be played without reads, then you get a huge edge.” – Philip adds.

Quick style

When you play a large number of hands, you also pay a large number of blinds. This means that in almost every hand there will be a sea of ​​dead money that can be taken away if you do not allow someone else to do so. “I just think you should try to steal the blinds with a wide range since a lot of people in these games open and defend with relatively strong ranges, but make sure you can fold your hand comfortably if you run into strong resistance.” - says Super High Roller champion, Evgeniy Kachalov.

Opening with a very wide range can be a profitable move if you're facing little resistance, but it's worth keeping your range closer to hands like 6-8s and eliminating hands like Q-8 or K-7 from your steal range. since you can get yourself into a situation with marginal top pair. Always keep this in mind, whether you're raising for value or just trying to take down the blinds. The same goes for 3-betting.

Are you raising because you think you can get enough folds to make the move +EV for you, or because you're missing the action? “I think 3-betting with a wider range preflop is also a good strategy, especially against late position openers as their range will obviously be much weaker. But when playing against regulars in such games, I would be careful, as they can quickly begin to adapt to your strategy.”

“Given all this, I would, of course, like to note that for the most part, players will not think much about the nature of your 3-bet and will prefer to move on to the next hand if they don’t have anything worthwhile,” Kachalov concludes.

Blind position

Most of the general assumptions regarding folding and opening ranges can be safely ignored when it comes to playing from the big blind in Zoom. If you are sitting in the big blind, you will still need to wait for the final raise to be made before you can fold your hand. And while this may not seem like a long wait in the grand scheme of things, once you get used to this ever-clicking world, such a wait can cause the big blind to respond to your actions more often, especially if you make raise from the cutoff or button. But this does not mean that you can 4-bet the big blind with a wide range after he begins to snap at your open raise.

“You have to stick to your normal game plan. But at the same time, it is worth remembering the specifics of playing from the big blind. Some players may start 3-betting very wide, up to 20-25% of the range, and some may fold their big blind five or six times in a row. You should react accordingly,” says Gregor “DaWarsaw” Mikielevich.

There is a significant chance that your opponent in the big blind will defend much more widely than in any other position. And that’s why it’s worth c-betting more often! Again, it all depends on the position.

Despite the differences from “regular” ring games, position still greatly influences the action in Zoom. “Pay attention to your opponents' position when they open. In Zoom this may be an even more important factor than in regular games, since players do not need to wait 50 hands to create an image of themselves as tight, which means that their raises from UTG and other early positions will be respected anyway,” adds Kachalov.

Postflop

But, as we all know, big pots lose and win just post-flop, and this is where Zoom shows in all its glory its differences from regular ring games. Preflop ranges are one thing, but if a player knows that he can safely abandon a flop that gave him nothing and immediately move on to another hand, especially if the game is out of position for him, then most often this is what he will choose the option for himself. This is a huge difference from regular cash games, where players will stubbornly hold on to their low pair, or ace high.

Continuation betting against standard players should be encouraged. “It seems to me that the hit-or-fold logic that some of your opponents will play with in zoom will always trigger a logical response in the form of more frequent c-bet (but smaller size). And the best part is that this c-bet will still get a ton of fold equity.”

“In situations where you would normally check the flop for pot control, you can now c-bet since you will almost always get high level fold equity, not only on the flop, but also on subsequent streets,” says Roit “GodlikeRoy” Bazin

Lex Veldhuis agrees: “most people either give up on the flop right away or decide to go all the way in the hand. The reason for this lies in the desire to catch some good hand, where it will be obvious that you are ahead. Marginal situations become less interesting for some players. Why take complex solutions, if you can simply and quickly move on to the next one? I c-bet the flop a lot for this exact reason, but at the same time I've pretty much stopped playing the triple barrel in Zoom. And the size of the continuation bet itself can be made smaller due to increased fold equity.” And these are the words of a man who plays very aggressively in regular games and tournaments, and for him the triple barrel is a classic.

Don't forget about the base

With so many bluffs out there, it might seem like it's time to put on your cape and make that heroic call. But the problem is that there is no room in Zoom for such calls. Due to a tighter range of starting hands, and more disciplined post-flop play, the number of situations in which your ace-high or third pair can win a hand on the river is reduced to zero. You will pay off your opponents' value bets much more often. Yes, heroic calls can sometimes work in low-stakes tournaments, or in games against your drunk friends, but not so on Zoom.

Main– don’t overload your head with “global thoughts” about how zoom actually works. If something works in standard 6-max cash, then it should also work in 6-max zoom, the same goes for full ring and Omaha. You shouldn’t justify your terrible call or all-in by saying that it’s a zoom and there’s a different logic here. This way you will only confuse yourself.

Also be careful with stacks. It's easy to build up a big stack here, so keep an eye on how you and your opponents' stack sizes are trending before getting into a pre-flop war of wits. Sometimes it's better to just call with your small pocket pair, and sometimes you can play a 3-bet. Consider your opponents' stack sizes and what you want to achieve. Remember that basic poker skills will help you no matter where or what you play. Yes, the variance in these games is much higher, but large pots, over time, will level the situation in favor of the one who constantly and quickly makes the right decisions. You just need to make sure that this player is you.

For the first time, the “fast” poker format was introduced in the Full Tilt Poker room and was called Rush-poker. This type of game offered players new opportunity– fold your hand immediately, without waiting for your turn, and move on to the next deal.

Fast poker allows you to play many more hands and, accordingly, play the distance faster.

Most large rooms offer their players their own version of fast poker:

• Zoom on PokerStars
• FastForward at PartyPoker
• Speed ​​Poker on the Ipoker network
• Snap on
• Blaze Poker on

One of the main differences between fast tables and regular tables is that every hand you will play at a new table and, as a rule, against new opponents. If you play fast poker at micro-limits, then it will be extremely difficult for you to collect up-to-date statistics on your opponents.

As a result, it is difficult to build a clear strategy based on table dynamics and specific statistics for each player, as you do at regular cash tables. This may seem like a disadvantage, but remember that your opponents also have limited information about you.

The nature of fast poker allows players not to play with garbage and speculative hands, but to play only the strongest cards in their range. Most players, especially recreational ones, get too hung up on this.

The downside to this tactic is that your overall win rate at fast tables may not be as high as at regular tables. Your opponents make fewer serious mistakes preflop because they don't have to go into the game with marginal hands.

The style of play at Zoom tables is tougher than at regular tables. Steals and re-steals of the blinds are the cornerstone of fast table strategy. Most of the time you will just have to steal the blinds to make money.

• Don't play too many tables

One of the biggest advantages of fast poker is that the ratio of hands played per hour at a single table is much higher than at regular tables. However, non-stop gaming means your attention will be needed more often.

There is no universal number of tables you should play as it depends on the individual. However, keep in mind that the quality of your decisions is more important than the number of hands you play.

Typically, 2 or 3 fast poker tables at a time provide a lot of action and still leave you time to think through your decisions well.

• Move away from tight play

As we said earlier, although playing tight is a plus for beginners, the tactics of playing at fast tables are based on other principles. At fast tables, most of your profit will come from blind steals. Steals and re-steals are fundamental tactics when playing at Zoom tables.

• Protect the blinds

From the point above it follows that the fight at fast tables is precisely for the blinds. Accordingly, if you are in the blinds, you should defend them more often so as not to give your opponents your money.

3-betting from the blinds at Zoom tables looks more intimidating than at regular tables. But remember that you should not overuse this technique, because even your nitty and weak opponents may sooner or later end up with aces.

• Take notes on your opponents

Due to the fact that your opponents at fast tables are constantly replacing each other, it is difficult for you to collect representative statistics on them. At this point, player notes will come to your aid. Note any unusual actions of your opponents (size and frequency of bets, hands at showdown, general manner of play) and use it against them.

• Choose a favorable place to play

Most players prefer to play on Zoom at PokerStars, but if you plan to make poker your income, you should look for more financially favorable conditions. Fields of players on fast PokerStars tables are the most difficult, and winning games at the high limits of this format is a real measure of professionalism. But in modern realities, an understanding and smart player should look for only the most profitable game options.

Rooms 888Poker and Red Star Poker offer you favorable conditions for playing fast poker. Get $88 no deposit at Red Star Poker and start playing fast poker right now!

Poker and unibet have already provided players with the opportunity to play fast poker.

This one began to gather thousands of people at the tables. And where there are many players, there is usually more money in circulation. Therefore, it makes sense for a player who makes money from poker to master the fast game mode.

Unlike a regular cash game, fast poker has a number of features that affect. In this type of poker, standard strategies may turn out to be unprofitable.

Fast poker table selection and stack size

You should choose a fast poker table based on its limit and the number of players at one table. Based on bankroll management, you can easily calculate at the table what limit you should play with. Players who are just starting to master fast poker can go one limit lower when choosing a table.

It is best to play fast poker with a deep stack, the size of which is about 100 big blinds. A player will rarely fight for a multipot. Also in fast poker, most of the opponents entering the bidding usually have pocket pairs or strong ones. The greatest profit can be made from opponents who outplay top pairs or overpairs. To get the maximum benefit from the mistakes of such opponents, a player needs a deep stack.

After doubling your stack, it is advisable to leave the table and return again, leaving the profit in the cash register. A number of opponents, having increased their stack by five or more times, may linger at the table. But for a beginner in this type of game, they will pose a danger if he does not leave his winnings in the cashier on time.

Aggressive play and stealing blinds

In the long run, stealing the blinds brings good profits at the fast poker tables. A player, being in position, should try to pick up with almost any hand. In most hands, he will be successful in this, since fast poker is usually played by many loose players who treat poker almost like a slot machine. Very often, expecting better starting hands, they use the “Quick Fold” button, and thereby easily give away. Opponents will have the “Quick Fold” button pressed in many hands before the player even raises.

Preflop with a good starting hand and if one of the opponents has raised in position, it is recommended that the player always re-raise. The raiser will turn out to be a regular in many hands, making money by stealing the blinds. Therefore, he will easily give away the bank. Such opponents should be marked with a corresponding entry in the notes, which will facilitate decision-making in the future. It is also advisable to indicate in the notes the size of the bet, which forces the opponent to fold his cards. A player should be wary of raises from the small blinds. The opponent in the small blind position, unlike the opponent in the big blind position, can fold immediately after the deal. If he waited until everyone at the table made a decision and only then made a decision, despite even the raise made by the player, then the probability of the small blind having a good starting hand very high.

Being aggressive with frequent theft of blinds brings the greatest profit at tables with the number of players no more than 6. At such tables, in most hands, having good hands, you can enter from the middle position. From a late position you can enter the game here with almost any hand.

Tight game

A tighter game in fast poker can be played at tables with no more than 9 players, since here the blinds will not come as often. When playing at such a table, you can use the starting hand tables for large stacks. Starting hands should be played taking into account the position. So the closer a player is to the button, the wider range of starting hands he can play. Being in late position, the player to top pairs and hands type A,J and above can safely add middle pairs and . A player who hits a monster will have a better chance of increasing the pot compared to regular cash games. This is due to the fact that opponents in fast poker often outplay top pairs. The player should also not forget about stealing blinds. Especially if the player is in late position. During the game, stealing blinds like this can bring additional income.

At the same time, you should remember that on fast poker tables, playing too tight will be unprofitable. This is due to the high pace of the game: waiting for top starting hands, the player will simply lose money in the blinds.

When is the best time to play fast poker and notes?

Different numbers of people play fast poker at different times of the day. Usually in the evening and at night the most players gather at the tables. At the same time, the number of loose players increases. Therefore best time Evening and night can be considered for playing fast poker.

Also, do not forget that in fast poker you can use notes. On, for example, it is most convenient to leave notes to players using the “Replay” function. It should be noted here that only those hands in which the player participated in the auction are available in the replay. However, this is quite enough to leave your notes about the mass of rivals.

When taking notes, the player should pay special attention to the regulars. Most regulars play at several fast poker tables at the same time. As a result, the player will encounter them more often than other opponents who prefer to play at the same table. Using the “Search for Player” function, you can find out how many tables a certain opponent plays at. Thus, by marking at least some of the regulars in the notes, the player can increase his profit. Typically, a regular playing at several fast poker tables will give away the blinds more often, and also, without a good starting hand, will steal more often. Such information can be used quite effectively when making decisions.