Where Should You Play Fast-Fold Poker?

If you haven't heard, 888 Poker recently launched Snap Poker.  It's a fast-fold version of poker where when you fold your hand, you are instantly brought to a new table of players at the same stakes in the same tournament player pool.  Snap Poker was only rolled out to some markets, but the site plans to roll it out to everyone who can play on 888 Poker in the near future.  Visit 888 Poker for more details.

Just about every major poker site has its own version of fast-fold poker.  While the functionality is relatively the same, there are some differences in what is available and how strong the player pool is.

888's Snap Poker is currently available at $0.01/$0.02 and $0.05/$0.10 for No Limit Hold'em and at $0.10/$0.25 for Pot Limit Omaha.  There are also Snap Poker tournaments for those who want to play more hands per hour than they would in a regular tournament.  These tournaments are $20 freerolls to get 888 Poker players used to the Snap Poker format before rolling out real money tournaments.

Currently, there is not a lot of action at the Snap Poker cash game tables, but as is true when any new feature is rolled out, player pools should be much softer than fast-fold poker on other sites.  If Snap Poker is not already available in your 888 Poker client, be on the lookout for an update soon where you will be able to join in on the fun.

Full Tilt Poker's Rush Poker was the first fast-fold variety available.  At the time of its release, it was revolutionary and with all of the excitement surrounding this new form of poker, it was also very fishy at lower stakes.

Currently, Rush Poker cash games are very tough compared to other fast-fold poker.  You'll find six- to nine-man tables for No Limit Hold'em ranging from $0.02/$0.05 to $2/$4, six-max tables for Pot Limit Omaha from $0.02/$0.05 to $1/2, and Pot Limit Omaha High-Low at $0.02/$0.05.  There are also Rush Poker tournaments and sit and gos that, in my opinion, are easier to beat than regular tournaments if you are not multi-tabling.

PokerStars' Zoom Poker is perhaps the most popular and most difficult-to-beat fast-fold poker out there.  The site currently offers Zoom Poker in tournaments and cash games.

No Limit Hold'em and Pot Limit Omaha cash games are available at six-max and nine-max ranging from $0.01/$0.02 to $25/$50.  While the highest stakes games are rarely running, you can always see action all the way up to $2.50/$5 for NLHE and $1/$2 for PLO, making it the best place for higher stakes players to play fast-fold poker.

The stakes for PLO8 range from $0.01/$0.02 to $0.25/$0.50; however, it is rare to see a game running higher than $0.05/$0.10.  For those who like Limit Hold'em, PokerStars has Zoom available at $0.10/$0.20.  Zoom Poker is the only fast-fold poker out there for Five Card Draw at $0.10/$0.20; however, the games are not as popular as the other Zoom Poker offerings.

PartyPoker's Fast-Forward is perfect for cash game players at lower stakes.  The room offers six-max NLHE games that are always running from $0.02/$0.04 to $0.25/$0.50.  There is also a unique heads-up format at $0.25/$0.50, which is great for those who wish to avoid bum-hunters.

Ongame's Strobe Poker is the only fast-fold poker available in a five-max format.  The NLHE games range from $0.05/$0.10 to $0.25/$0.50.  There are also heads-up NLHE games at $0.50/$1 and $1/$2; however, it is very rare to see a healthy player pool at either of these stakes.  If you love a short-handed format and generally weak players, playing Strobe's five-max NLHE games are a good choice for you.

Speed Poker is available on iPoker for six-max NLHE cash game players from $0.02/$0.05 to $1/$2.  It is rare to see a game with a healthy player pool over $0.50/$1.  The games are much softer compared to Zoom and Rush Poker and on par with most of the other sites.  If you are a mid-stakes player, this is the site for you, as most of the other softer fast-fold games are at smaller stakes.

Microgaming's Blaze Poker is available at €0.05/€0.10 and €0.25/€0.50 for NLHE six-max players.  Only the lower stakes game runs around-the-clock.  The competition is quite soft and this is the site for you if you are a low-stakes player who prefers to play poker in Euros.

As you can see, there are many choices when it comes to fast-fold poker.  The major HUD providers support almost all fast-fold poker on every site.  Using your HUD can give you a bigger edge in these games than in standard poker since there is no game flow to help you get an idea of your opponents' playing styles.

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