A deliberately controversial post today! Well, since every website and its dog are saying stuff like ‘future of poker’ and ‘game changer’ I thought it was time to say something different… if nothing else I hope to provoke thinking / reactions with these 5 reasons why Rush Poker will not last!

Full Tilt recently introduced Rush Poker, a fast and entertaining form of Texas Holdem or Omaha in which you are taken immediately to a new hand the second you hit the fold button or finish the hand before. While this game is certainly an interesting diversion from, we disagree with those saying that Rush is a ‘game changer’ or the ‘future’ of online poker. Here we give 5 reasons why we believe Rush Poker is simply an entertaining gimmick which will be ;just another game’ 6 months from now…

 Rush Poker Will Not Last #1 – Fish Lose Too Fast! 

Rush will certainly make money for players familiar with poker strategy concepts such as position, bet sizing and post-flop hand reading. However, the speed of the game will scare off the fish very fast indeed, with 300 hands per hour potentially being punished that bankroll will not last 5 minutes – sending the fish back to tournaments where they can at least get an hours’ play for their money! 

Rush Poker Will Not Last #2 – Fill Up With Nitty Regs 

Regular Multi-Tabling winning players are already counting their profits as they capitalize on their superior cash game skills at the expense of all those recreational players. Soon enough, half of the fields will be regulars – then soon after that two-thirds. Life all the ‘cash-cows’, the lure of easy money will eventually lead the regulars to be playing mostly with each other, while the smartest players go and look for pastures new. 

Rush Poker Will Not Last #3 – Less Regs In Other Games 

Of course there is a balance, the cash games which those same regs used to multi-table will now have a higher ratio of fish in them. Once word gets around the fish will start avoiding the shark-pool of Rush Poker and playing other games instead. Sure, the pendulum will swing back again – but by then the image of Rush as a good game for recreational players may well have been irrecoverably tarnished! 

Rush Poker Will Not Last #4 – Death By Rake! 

300 hands an hour, 4 tables and a few cents per hand… yes work it out – the Rush tables are the equivalent of ‘death by rake’ – got the best Full Tilt Poker rakeback deal of 27%, then good for you… you will be bleeding to death at only 73% the rate of your opponents! With the poker site able to take this much money off of the table the winning margins for the players will be massively reduced. Sure the smart rakeback grinder can still make hay, but with the fish losing to both them and to the rake this fast the game will dry up very quickly. 

Rush Poker Will Not Last #5 – Novelty Wears Off 

Rush is fun without a doubt, even addictive! But for how long? I mean, 1 week is enough for some, a month for others… do you seriously see yourself playing rush poker day-in-day-out in 6 months time? Like all next big things, there will be another one – in fact we are looking forward to seeing what Pokerstars, Party and Titan come up with!

Right, I’m off to play a little Rush… GL at the tables, Mark