PokerStars to Cancel Fast Speed Tables to Simplify Lobby
PokerStars has decided to cancel all its fast speed and regular tables, which means that starting next week, PokerStars poker players will not be able to select the speed at which they would like to play. Instead, players will have only one option according to the game format and stake. PokerStars has made this move to simplify its gaming lobby and make itself more appealing to new players.
Right now, players at fast speed tables have only 15 seconds to decide while they can take as many as 30 seconds to make a decision at a regular table. From next week, players will no longer have these options; instead, a fixed time will be assigned to each table depending on the poker variant and the stake. PokerStars has confirmed that players of Texas Limit Hold’em will have only 18 seconds within which they have to decide, irrespective of the game format or the stake.
The term “table speed” is used to refer to the time taken by a player to make a decision before beginning to use the time bank. When the time bank is exhausted, players’ hands are automatically folded. Currently, fast tables for No Limit and Pot Limit games have a table speed of 18 seconds and regular tables have a table speed of 35 seconds. In case of Limit games, fast tables have a table speed of 15 seconds and regular tables have a table speed of 25 seconds.
Once PokerStars standardizes the table speed, the tables will lose their speed labels. A ring game manager at PokerStars says, “The speed will vary based on the game, structure, stakes, and how deep the buy-ins are.”
A table speed of 18 seconds has been proposed for Limit Hold’em games, irrespective of the stakes, but the online poker room is yet to decide the default table speed for other stake levels and game formats. Naturally, more time will be given for high stakes games and deep games.
PokerStars is accepting player feedback regarding its proposed move, but will make the changes soon. The online poker room had stated that it was scheduled to make the change on Thursday when its server restarts, but according to some sources, PokerStars hasn’t fixed any special time to implement these changes as it has decided to spend some time taking player feedback and suggestions into consideration.
Once the changes have been implemented, PokerStars gaming lobbies will look cleaner and simpler. It will also eliminate the need for a new players to wonder whether it is better to sit at a regular table or a fast speed table. PokerStars services in Italy, France, and Spain already include the single-speed system, and all the tables in these countries are similar to the fast speed tables at PokerStars.com.
Some players love fast games, but players who like slow tables will find the new system tougher. The impact of these changes on players can be understood only when the changes are implemented, but players who prefer a simple lobby will surely welcome the change.
-
Recent Tips for Real Money Poker Players:
