The centuries-old game of poker shows no sign of being shifted from its position as the world’s most popular card variant. And remaining as the king of the poker hill – both on and offline – is the unbeatable combination of strategy and luck that is Texas Holdem. For those dreaming of making money online, Texas Holdem rivals even the best forex trading platforms.
Not ones to rest on their laurels, poker sites are regularly concocting new formats to keep existing players entertained and draw new fans into the game. And whilst some of these variations seem to appear from nowhere, only to then disappear just as quickly, the same cannot be said of the fast and furious “Twister” poker, which continues to soar in popularity with those visiting the best betting news sites.
Making its debut on the Winmax network back in July 2013 and variously referred to as “Expresso Poker”, “Spin and Go”, “Lottery Sit and Go” and “Jackpot Sit and Go”, this format has undergone a real surge in popularity in recent years, attracting the attentions of new players and professionals alike. But what exactly is “Twister” poker? And, most importantly of all, what are the strategies players can employ to tilt the odds in their favor?
What is Twister Poker?
Twister poker tournaments are a variety of “sit and go” i.e., events that have no designated start time but simply begin as soon as the required number of players are ed, with play continuing until one player possesses all of the chips. Most commonly played like six or ten-player events, in the case of Twister poker, the player count is restricted to just three. Unlike in other sit-and-go formats, where prizes are generally awarded to the top two positions, Twister poker is a case of winner takes all.
The most unique feature of these games however is the manner in which the prize pool is generated. Rather than being directly determined by the total of the buy-ins, in a Twister tournament the prize pool is drawn at random; ranging from 2x the buy-in fee, all the way up to 1000x the buy-in fee. Taking a $5 buy-in event as an example, a commonly used range of possible prizes would look as follows.
- 2x buy in = $10
- 4x buy in = $20
- 6x buy in = $30
- 10x buy in = $50
- 20x buy in = $100
- 50x buy in = $250
- 100x buy in = $500
- 200x buy in = $1000
- 1000x buy in = $5000
Turning next to the structure of the game, Twister poker falls firmly into the “turbo”, or even “hyper-turbo” category. Most sites see players begin with just 500 chips and initial blind levels of 10/20. The blinds then increase every three minutes, with a typical structure running as follows.
- Level 1 – 10/20
- Level 2 – 15/30 + 5 ante
- Level 3 – 20/40 + 5 ante
- Level 4 – 30/60 + 5 ante
- Level 5 – 40/80 + 8 ante
- Level 6 – 50/100 + 10 ante
- Level 7 – 60/120 + 10 ante
- Level 8 – 80/160 + 15 ante
Why Play Twister Poker?
So that’s how they work, but why should we play this rapid-fire variant?
- An excellent option for players who only have a few minutes to spare, or who are looking to cram as much action as possible into a short period of time – a Twister game will very rarely last longer than ten minutes.
- These games attract a high number of novice/recreational players, meaning it should be easier to turn a steady profit than in the shark-infested pools of the cash games.
- Chance of a big payday for only a small outlay.
Twister Poker Strategy: Top Tips
- 1. No time to wait – Playing a ive waiting game will simply result in your stack being dwindled away. that with only three players, you will be in one of the blinds two-thirds of the time. Wating for aces isn’t going to get the job done.
- 2. Take the initiative – An early lead gained through selective raising will put you in the advantageous position of being able to survive an all-in loss later in the game – unlike your shorter-stacked opponents.
- Raise or Fold in the Small Blind – Should the action fold to you in the small blind, you should either raise or fold. Calling can signal weakness, leading the big blind to raise and chase you out of the hand. And even if the big blind doesn’t raise, you will be forced to play the remainder of the hand out of position – a situation to be avoided wherever possible.
- Recommended early stages raising sizes – During the early levels, raises should have the aim of stealing the blinds, without unduly jeopardizing your stack. From the button, a minimum raise is recommended, as even should one or both of your opponents call you will still have the advantage of position. From the small blind this raise size should be increased to 2.5 times the big blind in order to increase the chances of a fold from your opponent, and hopefully avoid playing a pot out of position.
- Folding to a reraise a huge mistake when stacks are short – One of the most common errors at stack sizes of approximately 6 to 8 big blinds is to minimum raise from the button and fold to a reraise all in. For example, at 6BB should the button raise and then be faced with an all-in reraise, they will be receiving odds of close to 2/1 on the call. Even a hand as borderline as K7 suited has more than enough equity to call against the all-in raiser’s likely range. Much better to cross your fingers and call than simply give up the pot without a fight.
- Short Stack: All in or fold – Rather than a minimum raise, it is often better to simply push all in. Doing so takes away the re-raise all in, putting real pressure on your opponent, whilst also removing the possibility that you may make an error by folding. Of course, should you have a genuinely huge hand, you may wish to min-raise against an aggressive re-raiser in order to get all the money in as a strong favorite.
- Heads-up: Aggression is Key – there are two ways to win a pot; having the best hand or making your opponent fold. When heads up, most of the time neither player will have a particularly strong hand. As such it is the more aggressive player who induces more folds and tends to come out on top. Look to exert pressure from the button and continue to do so unless your opponent gives you reason not to.
Bankroll Considerations
As with all poker variants, practice makes perfect, with an ability to adjust your hand ranges and playing style according to the opponent being other key elements to success. No matter how proficient you become though, luck and variance will always play a part in poker, and as such a bankroll of around 200 buy-ins is recommended to comfortably withstand any potential downswings.
Accepting this variance as simply being part and parcel of the game is one of the main factors in becoming a winning Twister poker player. And luck and variance are two of the key elements which keep weaker players coming back for more, enabling those who adopt solid strategy to come out ahead.