Speedy Debut: PokerStars Launches Zoom Cash Games in Michigan/New Jersey
Cash game online poker players on the recently-combined PokerStars platform in Michigan and New Jersey now have another option. Zoom Poker went live on Jan. 23 and allows players to jump in the quick-paced action.
Tournaments and cash games merged immediately on the platform. However, Zoom games were on hold briefly to make sure the launch went smoothly. That’s now changed and the Zoom action is now underway.
What is PokerStars’ Zoom Poker?
Zoom Poker is a high-speed poker format. Players can play a large sample of hands in a shorter amount of time. The platform immediately moves players to a new hand as soon as they fold.
This eliminates the need to wait for the current hand to finish, allowing players to play more hands per hour.
After each hand is finished, players are seated at new tables with new opponents. This also makes it difficult for other players to track and predict their style of play. Zoom Poker is available in cash games, tournaments, and Sit & Go formats.
Players can also see the outcome of a hand they’ve folded by holding the “control” key on the keyboard while clicking the “fold” button.
When players are moved to a new table, the client software attempts to place them in the same position as would they have been located in a standard hand rotation.
This means if a player was set to be the button in the next hand, the algorithm tries to place the player on or near the button at the new table. This isn’t always the case, but the system works to avoid players paying multiple blinds.
Buy-ins range from $2 to $200 and players can earn double points on PokerStars rewards starting Jan. 23. Another bonus is available for players in the game early.
Early Bird is available for the first 10 players who start or join a Zoom pool for 10 minutes after opening. This makes them eligible to earn 2x rewards points during the first 10 minutes of play.
PokerStars Rewards
Extra rewards can pay off big with PokerStars’ new rewards system. In 2022 the company launched a new reward system to give back to the players.
“We’ve been working hard to give our players the best program and from listening to community feedback, we know that value and transparency are key, so we’re very happy to launch a program that has truly been built with this at its heart,” Stars public relations representative Rebecca McAdams said in a news release.
The new reward system is easier to understand, according to Stars, offering more value for players. The program includes:
- Progress bars to show upgrades needed to move to higher levels
- Chest levels with fixed rewards
- Rewards starting at 15% and up to 33% bonus back
- Bonuses earned through cash, tournament, Spin & Go, and Zoom play