- Real money fast-fold comes to Ongame, with 2 microstakes pools already up and running.
- Update pushed out to entire dot.com network.
- Rake race running on some skins to promote the launch.
- Currently a maximum of two entries per person.
Online poker network Ongame quietly launched its entrance into fast-fold poker Tuesday with the debut of “Strobe Poker.”
Strobe was pushed out in a client update on all dot.com skins this morning. The network consists of approximately twenty brands, including Betsafe, Betsson and Goalwin.
Already two player pools at 5c/10c and 15c/30c are running with a healthy number of players trying out the new feature. Higher stakes can be expected to roll out soon. There is, however, no play money Strobe pool.
Players can enter a pool more than once, though currently it is limited to just two per player, much lower than competing sites, according to a RedKings’ player FAQ on the game.
Ongame is one of the last networks to push out the new fast-fold variant, which allows players to “quick fold” and instantly join another table.
The fast fold tables are also 5-handed, a hark back to the days when all short-handed tables on the Ongame network were 5-max. They moved to the standard 6-max tables for standard cash games in September 2011.
First popularized by Rush Poker, fast-fold has since seen wide industry adoption: Be it PokerStars’ Zoom, iPoker’s Speed, Microgaming’s Blaze or Party’s FastForward.
To promote the launch, Redbet and Whitebet, twin online gaming brands owned by Nordic Leisure AB with Ongame poker rooms, emailed customers today with details of a special “strobe challenge” that will start next week. Players will compete on a Strobe-only rake-race leaderboard to win a share of $12.5k.
Further details on Strobe are expected from Amaya, Ongame’s new owner, later in the week.
correction: Article originally stated that all short-handed games were five-handed; in fact, cash games moved to 6-max in 2011. Thanks to dercon for the correction.
