Rush Poker Strategy - Guide to Winning at Rush Poker
Full Tilt’s introduction of Rush Poker has the entire poker world talking, and everyone from fish to nosebleed pros are playing the game just because it’s so much fun.
But what’s the correct strategy?
For those of you that don’t know, Rush Poker is Full Tilt’s latest brainchild. Poker for the action junkie, Rush Poker automatically deals you into a brand new hand at a brand new table the very second you fold.
There’s no downtime at all - fold and you’re instantly back in the action. There’s even a quick-fold button that allows you to fold the second you get your hand, regardless of your position.
The Obvious Changes to the Game
The biggest change to the game by far is that you instantly change tables when you fold your hand. Meaning you never have history with your opponents.
Each hand is at a new table with new opponents. You don’t know who the fish are and you don’t know who the regulars are. Everyone’s just a blank face.
Because you can’t develop reads through playing multiple hands with the same opponent, you have to treat each opponent the same. But that works both ways.
Since you can’t develop reads on your opponents, they can’t develop reads on you. In Rush Poker you don’t have to worry about leveling, balancing your range, or anything like that because your history with your opponents is going to be minimal.
So How Should I Play?
In small-stakes poker the bulk of your profits come from fish.
Even if you’re the best small-stakes player in the world and you regularly own other reg’s souls, the majority of your profit is still going to come from playing the fish.
Unfortunately in Rush Poker you may not know who the fish are and who the regs are until after the hand's over. And by then it’s too late. So the best way to play is a basic ABC poker game.
In fact you can play even tighter than you would normally because your opponents are never going to notice and never going to be able to adjust.
When you’re moved to a new table it’s a clean slate. They have no idea that you just hit quick fold twenty times in a row and are now cold four-betting AA from the blinds.
They’re just thinking, “Wow, I’ve got AK. I’m supposed to felt AK.” And they call it off, drawing nearly dead and chalk it up to a cooler.
Just like when you first started playing poker, tight is right. The mantra is especially true for Rush Poker.
Wait for big pairs, AKs, set mine, make top pair or better and value-bet relentlessly. That’s how you’re going to make money in Rush Poker.
The Not-So-Obvious Differences
Of course the whole game is changed by the fold and quick-fold buttons. Players don’t have to wait around for a great hand. They can just fold their junk and move on to a new table and a new hand.
That means your average player’s range is going to be significantly tighter. The fish are going to be fish and do what they always do: play strange hands and take them way too far after the flop. But the regulars are going to be playing a much tighter range.
It’s because of the quick-fold button. If you’re sitting with 6-8o in the small blind, are you going to wait around and see if you get the chance for a BVB steal? No, you’re going to hit quick fold and move on to another table.
So when you raise from under the gun and get called in the small blind you have to realize that that player had the chance to quick-fold and get a new hand at a new table but he didn’t. He waited around to play against you.
Either he’s a fish or he has a pretty damn good hand.
Because he didn’t choose to quick-fold you can already start assigning him a range. It looks something like JJ-22, AQ and maybe AJs. Anything else is definitely too wide vs. a UTG raise in Rush Poker.
From there, as the hand plays out, you do what you always do. Start narrowing his range down until you have a good idea of his actual holdings.
The Big Blind
The big blind is the only position where you can’t insta hit quick-fold. That’s because you have the big blind invested already. You have to wait until there is a raise before you can quick-fold.
Meaning that the above is not as true for the big blind in unraised pots. He didn’t have the opportunity to quick-fold his hand, so if it’s folded to you on the button or in the small blind and you raise, when he calls it doesn’t mean his range is necessarily tighter.
For that reason, as of now, the majority of “light three-betting” comes from the big blind. Because any other position wouldn’t wait around until their turn to three-bet some trash hand, they’d just fold and move on.
The big blind doesn’t have that chance so he gets mad and three-bets those steal raises far more than he would from the small blind.
Obviously not every player plays the big blind like this, but it’s something to be cognizant of.
Shorthanded vs. Full Ring
Like in any form of poker the difference between shorthanded and full ring is very real, only in Rush Poker it’s absolutely huge.
A six-max Rush game plays only slightly different than a regular six-max game. With so few players and everyone playing so fast, you often can’t even hit quick-fold before the action is on you.
While everyone’s early position ranges tighten up, the late position raises remain wide.
In full-ring the tightness is extremely magnified. Why even bother calling a raise with ATo when you can just insta-fold and get a new hand? There’s no reason. Ranges are, or at least should be, tighter across the board.
There’s just no need to be involved with marginal hands.
Rakeback
As the novelty of these games wears off and more people start playing a better Rush strategy, I think the real value in these games will be for the rakeback you can make.
Eight-tabling $100nl Rush (four six-max and four full ring) nets you 2,000 hands an hour. In those 2,000 hands you pay approximately $100ish rake. At 27% rake back that's $27/hr in rakeback alone.
If you can beat the game on top of that, you’re going to be making a pretty good wage.
Last Word
Rush Poker is a fun, action-packed game. This article was written on the second day of its existence. This is the proper strategy in my opinion for the games that I've played at this point.
I’ve only played 10,000 hands and I have no idea how the games may change and evolve in the future.
As of now, tight is right is the best strategy for Rush Poker. Rock it up, and rake it in. In the future I may be re-writing this article.
More Strategy Articles from Dan Skolovy:
Comments
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Mark
2011-01-08playing real tight is good..and also at Rush poker,,if you fold a hand you would normally not fold,,you don't have to watch the flop or the river or turn, which would flop, river or turn what you need,,then you will never fold again...folding is easy....
Jackh02
2010-08-19I am astounded by the comment that a blind every 4 hands is unusual.
There are 9 players per table so you will be in either the BB or SB 2 of 9 hands, on average. That is 1 of 4.5 hands. I tracked 90 hands and was in one of the blinds 20 times. I don't expect such exact results all the time, but in addition I have tracked consecutive hands and am often in the blinds several times in a row, and am sometimes not in a blind for 10 hands. I agree with the commenter who stated there is no advantage for Full Tilt picking on specific players re blinds.
Also, the only real difference in the game mechanics is that reads are hard to make. But, does anyone think that AA comes more of less frequently because of the number of hands played. The odds are 1 of 221 regardless of how many hands are played. I agree that the 2 basic styles are super tight and raise everything, but this is just the way many people have interpreted the great many hands per hour. The odds of getting a hand are identical with non-rush poker.
As for raising every hand with a 3xBB raise, you are laying, depending on the level played, about 2:1. That means that you must win more than 67% of the hands to show a profit. Of course you will win some hands regardless of what your cards are. But, I doubt this is enought to overcome the overlay a player is providing by raising every time. I tracked raising every time for several 100 hands and found that I would win the blinds about 50% of the time, not enough long term, in my opinion, to overcome the 2:1 overlay a raiser provides.
If anyone strongly disagrees with me, please make a response.
Rush Poker
2010-07-26Would make sense but I think it balances out anyway!
Andrew
2010-06-25Tbh I think the blinds aren't decided at random; the player who hasn't had the BB / SB for the longest is the one that gets it, imo..
lytwaytLaz
2010-06-09Tro: I believe there are no fixed tables or fixed amount of tables. A new table is created every time there are 9 players who folded and are ready to play. With several hundred players in the pool this should occur more than once every second. The finished tables vanish so the number of tables stays about the same. This works just fine even if the number of players in the pool isn't divisable by 9. All it takes is good programming and fast enough computing. I'd say it works pretty well. CU at the tables!
Tro
2010-05-25Ok....so people are complaining about the blinds being too exessive. Now i have read all these posts and what caught my eye is that none of you have come to realize that you play around 230ish hands an hour...your bound to be big blind atleast 25 times in a full ring table (9). Now mathematically, it doesnt make any logical sense that fulltilt excesivly blinds its players as its IMPOSIBBLE to bb and sb everyplayer every four hands and the table of 9 cant logically allow it..that is unless ofcourse their is a cheat and your playing a table agaisnt lets say 4 players and the other nine (who suposebly quickfolded already) vanish into thin air. I believe only two things are dealing with the BB. One theory, yes its random and math says that it IS possible to be bb theoretically 20,000 times. Now odds of that happening in a life time are kinda freakin hard, but theoretically when your hand number is in the BILLIONS even TRILLIONS, 20,000 can occur multiple times as its merely a fraction to such large numbers. This theory applys to everything in gambling. Say Casino War or Roullete, its possible to get all red or loose 20,000 times and math will back it up. So, like i said, either your just the worst of luck and get BB alot. Or the second theory is that fulltilt poker is cheating your arses off. Think about how its system works, I assume theres aroudn 250 players per lobby and that results in about 27tables. Now heres the thing. Some tables will have all fold to the BB while others will play around 3 players who called the BB. And so you got these 3 players playing a hand while the extras are zooming in and out of hands with the "assumed" other nine players. The only way to accomplish a COMPLETE set of 9 players on a table is if the total number of people playing to the people folding is divisable by 9. Now since there isnt no "wait" or "delay" when you fold to a new table, (assuming that the wait means your getting thrown into a full table prior to dealing the hand) odds are theres more then 27 tables. So whats happening? More tables mean more bigblinds. Basically, How is it possible to get a complete set of 9 every time before a hand is delt, you have to take account into the changing variables. This includes folds, calls, new players and bankrupt players. These variables CONSTANTLY change and it is foolish to believe you are constantly playing with 9 people. The INSTANT fold, the no waiting for a new hand, the quickfold button. All only prove this theory. Now this is just a theory and i aint the math professor, but its something to look into. Just how does rushpoker work? I hope it makes sense, enuff chit chatter. adios!
undurrrdog
2010-05-15As far as Rp goes its a gimmik not poker. It takes what online has already ruined for poker to the logical next level. Pure poker is a game of psycology, logic, math, and heart. Online make it all about math and a little logic. (ok for those that play 1k+ nl theres heart involved too) My point being that online poker is becoming a game of math and patience, not skill, and rush poker only furthers this flaw. Id like to see any online reg come to vegas and play 5ooNL and not get destroyed. Poker is meant to be played with the guy your bluffing looking right at you, no hit and run, no grimstars, no chat box sht talking, this game just furthers the antisocial and extra-interverted element of online poker creating more geeks sitting at home for 12 hours 12 tables of 25 NL calling themselvs "Poker pro's. LOL. if online is real poker at all is only at the highest stakes among people who already play together live.
undurrrdog
2010-05-15Witheld-Being in the blinds every 8th and 9nth hand means 2/9, so yes you still pay blinds 1:4.5 hands. think of this way, hand 1 2 3 4 (blind)- hand 6 7 8 (blind) eaither way 1 in 4 is about right. Its even worce at 6 max being 1 out of 3 hands you pay a blind. If blinds are 1 and 2 then you pay 1.5 every 3 hands or 1.5 every 4.5 hands at FR.
bigstake
2010-05-14Rush poker is like a poker room from horror dereams for me 8). You start with an AK and hit a A 8 2 on the flop. You think you got it, but you are so owned by three of a kind! In rush poker your full house will be eaten by four of a kind, two pairs will be beaten with three of kind and so on. Its to much for me.
witheld
2010-05-11Thanks Rushnoob I see your logic but look at it this way. In a typical 9 player ring game you are in a blind ( big or small) on the 8th and 9th hand as the dealer moves around. What I am trying to explain is that I am in the BB or SB every 4th hand or so and thus at least double the amount of blinds I pay . I understand your logic so I am being more clear to express what I mean. I am being raked by the blind so to speak.
Thanks
poopooimajew
2010-05-03who ever are +EV players at this game u know who u r
why the efff r u helping these players get better
let the donkzilla's play in their ridiculous fashion. I lawl'd to atleast 5 of these posts. Rush poker is the nuts for us regs so just keep letting the fish act the way they do.
rushnoob
2010-05-02withheld, I think it is just a matter of math. I can't be certain of my math but I think: if the blind was only 1 person instead of big and small blinds, then your odds (overall) of being that person would be 1:9...since there are two blinds that is doubled to 2:9 or about 1:4.5 so it seems that is right where it should be
withheld
2010-04-30I think it is more than lack of luck. If it were only for a while I would agree and deal with it but it is perpetual. Over thousands and thousands of hands I am in the blind every 4 hands. It is not just coincidence. Also It would make sense that there would be times when I would go more than 9 hands without being in the blinds to average things out but this has never happened. The benefit for fulltilt I imagine is that the software functions smoothly. All I know is I am in the blinds way to often so it makes no sense for me to play rush poker because my winnings are wash away by the non stop blinds.
Thanks
zyg0tic
2010-04-29They don't pick unlucky saps to suck up the blinds, that has absolutely no benefit for Full Tilt. You're just unlucky, deal with it.
withheld
2010-04-29As you may know Rushpoker is a type of poker at Fulltilt where you are whisked from table to table as you fold or as a hand ends. It is structured as a typical 9 player ring game and the rotating pool of players can reach over a thousand. As in typical ring game you are responsible for the big and small blinds. The blinds are a bit tricky to distribute in Rushpoker as there are always new players at each table every hand. Fulltilt claims that the blinds are random with it going to the player who has gone the longest without being in the blind. Now I would guess that sometimes I would be in the blinds quite often and sometimes I would be in the blind not so often. I would also guess that it would even be possible to go more than 9 hands without being in the blinds as it would be possible to go 9 hands being in the blind every hand. My problem began when I started to notice that I was in the blinds way to often and began to count using the hand history option available on fulltilt. In fact I was in the blinds over 10,000 hands every 4th hand. I play primarily 0.5/0.10 stakes. Very simple math can show you the tax I was playing to play Rushpoker. This was even greater when I played rushpoker for higher stakes. Thus I was paying double (or more) the amount of blinds I would pay at a regular ring game of 9 players.
I wrote to Fulltilt on a number of occasions to inquire and I furnished them with my hand histories. After a few back and forths they said the matter was closed and they would no longer answer questions ion the matter. My guess is that in order for the rushpoker to function properly the software chooses a few unlucky saps to suck up the blinds (everytime they play). I am unfortunately one of them. Over the course of probably 100,000 hands I am in the blind at least every 4th hand. The fulltilt rep even had the nerve to write saying that one could be in the blinds every hand over 20,000 hands. In the language of the internet LOL. Please beware of the blinds in Rushpoker. I am curious if anyone else has experienced the same. PLease post if you have.
Thanks
Peter
2010-04-28"pay approximately $100ish rake. At 27% rake back that's $27/hr in rakeback alone."
You are not "winning" $27/hr in rakeback. Instead, you are loosing $27/hr _less_ than $100/hr, hence with rakeback you rare loosing "only" $100/hr-$27/hr = $73/hr.
You'll have to beat that to be a winning player.
Leggy
2010-04-26I have always been a tournament player, until rush came along. For the past month I've been profiting from a LAG stratergy at .25/.50 level.
At this level raising with even low suited one gappers can lead to taking down some huge pots against tight passive players. The TAG players make their monsters very well known so you can get out without investing too much. And the trickier LAG players can often be caught bluffing, so my advice is to make as many notes on players as you can, and use the poker skills many are suggesting are dead.
I do believe the game will change, but I think it'll be here for a long time.
Some advice on the Rush Poker tournaments would be nice though.
Frederic
2010-01-30I agree with Dylan. Most people play way too loose on Rush tables, and as you play so many more hands, you can make a lot more money out of it. It's great to build a bankroll!
However, there is obviously a lot less skill involved. I have noticed that because I am ++EV at stakes where I usually am more or less breakeven, or only a small winner.
Dylan Thurston
2010-01-29@Astral
That's an interesting point of view, one that makes practical sense. But in actual play I've noticed that people are just way to loose, especially on the full ring tables. I've stacked a ton of people who called all the way to the river (or even pushed all in themselves) with nothing more than top pair and a third or fourth best kicker. Fish will do this in any game, but it seems to happen so much more frequently in Rush. It's baffling to me when I see someone risk their stack holding QJ on a Queen high board, yet it happens again and again on Rush. It's too the point where I'll risk my stack over any two pair and get a +EV on the play as it seems like the vast majority of time you get a called holding top pair.
Astral
2010-01-27Rush raking is more like it. I'm gonna go out on a limb here and predict that rush poker is going to be a flop. I think once the excitement wears off, all we're going to see is zero sum game. Everybody is going to play premiums and suited cons and the game is going to get boring. Myself, I have no interest in playing a game against different people all the time, with no chance for player notes and no "state" between hands. I think a lot of the "regulars" are gonna play for a short while and then realize it is negative EV. the most optimistic scenario i can see for rush is if a lot of the regulars leave, thus creating a fish pond, which will prompt their return after a while, creating an endless cycle.
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