During the most recent mini-FTOPS, there was a lengthy thread in Poker Discussion debating the pros and cons of Full Tilt Rush Poker. The original poster’s intent, I believe, was aimed at Rush Poker tournaments…the Mini-FTOPS was loaded with the Rush format. Of the tournaments that were neither turbo nor Knockout, about one-third used the Rush format, infuriating players who loved the big fields but hated the concept.At the time, I was in the camp of those down on the idea. I like the idea of sitting with the same players hand after hand, getting reads and setting up opportunities. I can’t learn anything about my opponents if I don’t get to watch hands they play…and if I fold during a Rush game, I’m immediately moved before I can watch the rest of a hand play out. It all just seemed like a big gimmick designed to squeeze in more hands per hour, boosting Full Tilt’s rake at the expense of “real” poker.
If I’m a good player in the game, the Rush format took away the means I had to gain and exploit my edges. If I’m a bad player, I’ll go broke sooner the more hands I play. Or so I thought.
I’ve spent a week playing Rush, over 35 hours of total table time. I’ve spent between two and three hours each day playing 2 tables, mostly PLO8, with a little bit of NLHE mixed in. I haven’t tried a tournament yet, but my opinion has come around, at least when it comes to cash games. The edges are still there…but they exist in different ways.
1) You CAN make reads…it just takes some work
The better players in a particular game are multi-tabling, to maximize their winning opportunities. Normally, you have to search on a player’s name to see how many tables they’re at. In a Rush cash game lobby, you can immediately see who’s multi-tabling. Those players aren’t always the best…but they are more likely to be able to make “outside the box” calls and bluffs.
In addition, most of the Rush tables have less than 200 players at them (only the full-ring NLHE tables ever get above 300 or so). If someone is 4-tabling, you’ll see them at your table quite a bit, and eventually pick up on some trends. Due to the pace of a Rush poker game, you won’t have the ability to enter player notes…but you should be able to come up with a simple color-coding system indicating how tight or loose they are.
2) Players don’t adjust to position
In a normal poker game, you gradually shift positions as the button moves around the table. Players get into a rhythm of adjusting opening hand ranges. In Rush Poker, the big blind is assigned to the player who last had it, and everyone else’s spot is somewhat random. There’s no pattern, no rhythm. In my fairly brief experience, I’ve seen many players open with the same hands from UTG or the button. It’s a leak you can easily take advantage of.
3) You can find time for meaningful sessions
One of the big selling points of cash games is how they fit into the rest of your life. You’re not tied down to a specific starting time. You can quit whenever you want, rather than having to play a tournament until the wee hours of the morning. It’s almost impossible for me to play a huge-field MTT, because I never have a large block of time to dedicate exclusively to a tournament.
But when I’m looking for a cash game to play for an hour…the normal structure only offers me 50-70 hands, depending on table size and the speed of play. It feels like a waste of time. Not so with Rush Poker. If I’m 2-tabling at a 6-max game, I’ll see about 400 hands in an hour. Now we’re talking. I can feed my need to play, and get on with everything else in my life.
4) Bonus clearing and FPP accumulation is a breeze
I’ve never been a big multi-tabler, for a number of reasons: I only have one monitor, I don’t like to play mechanically, and I am too damn old for my brain to keep track of everything. Four tables are about my limit, and even then, I don’t feel like I’m maintaining enough focus to play my best and make good decisions.
To clear the standard $500 bonus offer I get from FTP, I’d have to 4-table cash games for 5-6 hours a day. It’s a commitment of time I find difficult to make, and an amount of stamina and concentration I can’t summon day after day. The other option is to play out of my bankroll, which I am also unwilling to explore. In all the other times I’ve played to clear a Full Tilt bonus, I’ve never earned back more than $150 before the 21-day period expires.
In my seven days of Rush poker, playing exclusively at .25/.50, I’ve cleared over $200 in bonus. I don’t have to play more than two tables. I’ve played less than four hours each day.
While I’m also not all that impressed with the FTP Black Card and Iron Man promotions, it would also be fairly easy for me to qualify for both of them continuing what I’ve been doing. I’m earning about 150 Full Tilt Points per table-hour. I don’t have to be a 16-table automaton or high-stakes baller to roll like one. So I got that going for me. Which is nice.
There’s nothing better or worse about Rush Poker than any other form of the game. If I’m going to say “it’s not real poker,” then I could also make the same claim about SNGs, turbos, triple draw, Badugi, tournaments, split-pot games, etc.…I think “it’s not real poker” is just another euphemism for “I don’t like it” or “I don’t understand it.” There are adjustments you have to make to improve your chances for success, and rewards to be gained for those who adjust the best.
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