- BIO has now been added to all games from nanostakes NL2 (1c/2c) up to NL200 ($1/$2), and PLO 25c/50c up to $1/$2.
- The new system has so far been well-received by full-stack players, who appear to make up the vocal majority of respondents in the dedicated thread on 2+2.
- After a certain threshold of buying in short—currently set to eight times—a player is forced to return to the table with the amount they previously left with.
- The goal of the new system is to prevent systematic “ratholing,” the process of leaving a table with a large stack and returning with less.
PokerStars has been incrementally rolling out its “buy-in obligations” feature across its games and stakes this week.
Starting with a trial exclusively on one stake level earlier this month, it has now been added to all micro and small-stakes NL games, from NL2 (1c/2c) up to NL200 ($1/$2).
It is also now in affect on PLO ring game tables at 25c/50c, 50c/$1 and $1/$2.
Ultimately, PokerStars plans to roll out the system to all big-bet games—including pot-limit hold’em—in ring games and Zoom, with the exception of heads-up and cap games.
The new system has so far been well-received by full-stack players, who appear to make up the vocal majority of respondents in the dedicated thread on 2+2. The change has brought a noticeable improvement in game conditions, with fewer short-stack professional players.
The buy-in obligations system tracks a player’s stack sizes as they join and leave tables. After a player leaves and buys in short eight times, he or she is forced to return with at least the amount with which they left the previous table.
The goal of the new system is to prevent systematic “ratholing,” the process of leaving a table with a large stack and returning with less. Players “short-stacking” in this way play a simpler form of poker on tables designed for deep-stacked play, and is thought to frustrate many recreational players and full-stack professional players.
Cap games, which are short-stacked by nature, are naturally exempt from the buy-in obligations system.
