Table caps appear to be the latest trend in online poker, as the GGNetwork has confirmed it will follow PokerStars and limit cash-game activity.
Outlined in its Public Roadmap on Trello, the software update will introduce a cap on the number of cash games a player can play simultaneously.
All Cash Games to Change at GGNetwork
As per the announcement, GGNetwork will limit players to four open tables for the following types of cash game:
- VIP Games
- No-Limit Hold’em
- Pot-Limit Omaha
- All-in or Fold
- Rush and Cash
- Short Deck
The table limit won’t apply to tournaments, but it is more comprehensive than the recent changes at PokerStars.
In sparking the latest trend, PokerStars introduced limits on all cash game tables except Zoom. By capping the number of fast-fold cash games (Rush and Cash) players can play, GGNetwork is upping the ante.
Whether GGNetwork players see that as a positive will be a matter of personal preference. But, for its part, the operator believes it will benefit the community as a whole.
Speaking to poker media site PRO, GGNetwork head Jean-Christophe Antoine said the limit will mirror the current dynamic available on its mobile platform. Moreover, he feels it will speed things up by making cash game dynamics “less robotic.”
The update will go live on October 1, and follows the site’s recent innovations such as bubble protection and smart betting.
Online Poker Turns Against Multi-Tabling
With online poker operators introducing what they consider novice-friendly features, table caps could become a standard across the industry. Indeed, with PokerStars often setting new trends, cash-game players around the world may have to work harder for their hourly win rates.
The move toward table caps sits in stark contrast to the dynamics at play when online poker was in its infancy. In the mid-noughties, many of today’s biggest names made their fortune by playing multiple tables at once.
Pros such as Randy Lew, aka nanonoko, have acknowledged that their tactics on any individual table weren’t optimal. However, the cumulative effect of being slightly better than average in each game meant they could achieve a healthy win rate.
To help, heads-up displays (HUDs) became a standard tool for the likes of Lew, but even this technology is now being phased out.
In tandem, these changes have stirred controversy among online poker stalwarts. However, the consensus among operators is that dynamics more akin to live games are better for casuals.
GGNetwork will be banking on this assumption being correct as it continues its bid to become the largest online poker network in the world.
