Spin & Gos have been one of the most popular formats on PokerStars for years now. Offering the possibility of awarding huge jackpots combined with tournaments lasting only a few minutes propelled Spins into the top choice for many recreational players.
But it wasn’t just casual players who crossed over to Spin & Gos. Despite some initial resistance, many professionals have endorsed the format as well, making it their go-to choice. Sure, some of it was out necessity, since where the casual players go, pros tend to follow, but there is more to the story.
During the recently concluded NAPT in Las Vegas, pokerfuse caught up with Nick Walsh, a PokerStars ambassador and Spin & Go expert who offered some interesting insights into the life of a professional Spins’ player.
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Living the Poker Life of Freedom
When talking about reasons to take up poker professionally, many players mention freedom as one of the main points. But that freedom is always overstated, as making it in poker requires serious dedication in terms of both time and commitment.
That said, choosing a main format to focus on plays a huge role in terms of freedom. Multi Table Tournament (MTT) players, for example, have to put in a a lot of volume, and as a result, they need to play during certain days or while major series are happening. Plus, when you sit down for a tournament session, you know you’ll be tied to your screen for the next several hours and, if things go well, even longer.
Cash games are much more flexible, but they don’t offer the possibility of one big win that comes with playing MTTs.
Spin & Gos however, have somehow managed to bridge the gap between these two formats. You can finish a game within a few minutes, the possibility of a big win is always there (even if big jackpot multipliers are extremely rare), and you can stop whenever you like.
Walsh explains his view of the game: In a way, I made a decision for my freedom when I chose to play Spin & Gos more professionally. I sort of said to myself, I want to be free to do what I want to do. And I want to live my life where I can stop and start when I want.
It is an interesting take, but it may not be the one that everyone agrees with. Other formats can probably offer more in terms of an edge you can have over your opponents, but it’s hard to deny the freedom that comes with playing Spins.
With these games being so popular, they fill up quickly, so you never have to wait long for a game to start. Thus, you can really spread your action however you want and play 100 in row, or do 10 or 20 at a time, or anything in between.
The Game of Speed & Efficiency
While an edge in Spin & Gos may not be as high as, say, in regular MTTs, the ability to put in massive volume quickly more than makes up the difference.
“What that means is that you, as a professional player or somebody that plays the game more seriously, you can put in a serious amount of volume to realize your edge much faster than you would if you were playing MTTs,” explains Walsh.
As an expert on this particular format, Walsh knows what he’s talking about. There is a misconception that there just isn’t enough edge in Spins, but for those who study the game and understand the intricacies of the format, there are plenty of opportunities to get ahead of the competition.
He even put together a comprehensive guide on Spins for PokerStars Learn, making it available to everyone at no cost, and there are some very valuable insights in there.
It boils down to one’s poker expectations, ambitions, and how they want to organize their private life around the game. For those looking the highest degree of freedom this game has to offer while also enjoying the excitement of a potential landslide win, Spin & Gos are the answer.
It may not be the format with the highest edge, but it is certainly one that offers options for poker players wanting a slightly different lifestyle than that of most of their colleagues.
