PokerStars Expands Cap Tables, No Limit Omaha High/Low

PokerStars, the world’s largest online poker room, made changes to its No Limit Hold’em ring games this week. After receiving plenty of feedback from players, the site decided to add “cap” tables as part of the standard offering across a wider variety of games and stakes, following a move made by Full Tilt Poker quite some time ago. PokerStars also introduced six-max tables of No Limit Omaha High/Low as part of its latest update.

According to a thread created by a PokerStars representative at the TwoPlusTwo forums, PokerStars had been testing cap tables at certain stakes and game types for the past several months. Cap tables place a limit on how much each player can bet over the course of a single hand. Once the cap has been reached, the player is considered to be all-in for the remainder of the hand.

The cap will always be the same for each hand and player at the table. There will initially be a limit of 20 big blinds at cap tables, but that number may be increased in a later update. For now, cap tables will be listed alongside other tables in the No Limit and Pot Limit lobbies.

The following buy-in options will be the standard at No Limit Hold’em tables with six or more seats:

$0.01/$0.02 and $0.02/$0.05 blinds
40bb-250bb tables, unlabeled. This offering is unchanged.

$0.05/$0.10 and $0.10/$0.25 blinds
40bb-100bb, without lobby labels. This will include all Euro currency tables.
100bb-250bb tables, labeled as deep

$0.25/$0.50 blinds and above
20bb cap, allowing buy-ins of 20bb-50bb, labeled “CAP”
40bb-100bb, without lobby labels. This will include all Euro currency tables.
100bb-250bb tables, labeled as deep

As many will notice, the update eliminated the 20bb-50bb for six-max and nine-max No Limit Hold’em games. This decision has received mainly positive feedback from players; however, one TwoPlusTwo poster complained, saying, “This is going to make thousands of players generate much less rake (many of them will just stop playing at PokerStars). And also, there were thousands of players that had plans to reach a certain amount of VPP for this year and now they won’t be able to do it.”

Tool tips explaining the exact minimum and maximum allowable buy-in at each table will still be displayed when your mouse is hovered over a table name in the PokerStars lobby. Several players have requested that the cap games be placed in a separate tab in the client to make them easier to distinguish from the regular games, so look for that update in the future.

The other major change made by PokerStars this week was the addition of six-max tables of No Limit Omaha High/Low at stakes ranging from $0.10/$0.25 to $3/$6. These games were offered immediately after the update was in place and have been a huge hit with players thus far. While the No Limit Hold’em cap tables will be installed at limits of $0.25/$0.50 and above, No Limit Omaha High/Low six-max tables will be installed at all currently offered stakes.

The removal of all No Limit Hold’em 20bb-50bb tables and the changing of Euro No Limit Hold’em tables from 35bb-100bb to 40bb-100bb will take place on February 10th. Changes to table labels will also take place on this date. Tables of discontinued types will slowly be closed as they empty, but some may exist until the next server restart.

PokerStars also mentioned that it is considering making changes to table buy-in minimums and maximums for heads-up No Limit Hold’em and all Omaha games. Any changes to these tables will be announced and employed in February.

Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest PokerStars updates.

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Poker glossary:

OUT - [1] A card that will improve your hand, often substantially. A hand with many OUTS is preferable to a hand with only 1 or 2. [2] Folded, ineligible to bet or win this hand. "I'm out" is often a synonym for "I fold".
HIT - To make a hand or catch a card or cards that improves one's hand. "I hit a gut-shot draw on the river."
DOUBLE BELLY BUSTER - A two-way inside straight. E.g., 3-5-6-7-9.
BURN - To discard the top card of the deck prior to dealing, usually done for every dealing round except the first. The theory being that if somehow the cards are marked (illegally) no one will know what card will next be dealt, only what card will be burned. This makes marked cards less of an advantage, hence tends to reduce cheating.
DEALER'S CHOICE - In home games, a rule that permits the dealer to name which poker game to be played that hand. Often limited to selecting from a list provided.
LEAK - To show one's hole cards (often unknowingly).

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