Festival of Speed

Festival of Speed (8-25 June)

Poker is no longer about grinding away for hours with the intention of securing a few big blinds’ worth of profit. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with such an approach, but most people have a limited window in which to enjoy time at our poker tables, which is why the emphasis nowadays is increasingly on having a good time. Poker is entertainment, after all.

With this in mind, our Festival of Speed, which will run between 8-25 June, is sure to set the pulses racing because it’s all about speed. Time – more specifically, what we can achieve in a limited amount of time – is a key factor of modern-day online poker. It’s always interesting to see how differently we perform when this particular element is tweaked – can we make the same, tactically sound decision whether we have a minute or seconds in which to think? Do we become so impatient while waiting around to get involved in a hand that, as soon as we fold, we’re so eager to taste the action that we find ourselves committing chips with mediocre cards?

The Festival of Speed covers both these subjects, in fact. First, we have a Super Turbo Multi-Table Tournament Series – a juicy 39 very bankroll-friendly events where speed is of the essence and the more you can put yourself nicely ‘in the zone’ while those around you struggle, the better chance you have of helping yourself to a share of the €50,000 in guaranteed prize money on offer in the series.

We’ll also be rolling out a 32Red favourite in the form of Blazing Cannon. For those who have not yet had a go at this dinky game, it runs alongside our speedy Blaze Poker format, which is designed to do away with waiting around twiddling our proverbial thumbs by transporting players automatically to a new table and a new hand immediately after each hand ends. No delays, no hanging about for a hand to finish, but straight back into the action. Then, when you’ve won/shared a pot in 20 raked hands you’re brought to the Blazing Cannon video game, the task being to knock down a stack of cards with a burning chip fired from a cannon, with a chance of winning €1, €10 or even €100 in cash. Poker is never boring at 32Red!

The third part of the festival is Added Money Turbo SNGs. Quite simply, SNGs with buy-ins ranging from €1 to €20 will have money added to the prize pool, so it’s just a matter of heading to the Sit & Go section of the Poker Lobby and keeping your eyes peeled for the specials.

And, finally, don’t forget to make the most of the Bonus Promotion: Fire the Blazing Cannon twice, play 10 Festival of Speed events and play 15 Festival of Speed SNGs and you’ll earn exclusive entry to the €5,000 Festival Flash Freeroll (2 July).

So there you have it… poker goodies coming at you from all directions between June 8-25. Enjoy.

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Blaze of Glory

If you haven’t tried Blaze Poker yet, you’ve been missing out! The point behind this nifty format is the so-called ‘Quick Fold’ facility. Clicking on the Quick Fold button automatically folds your hand without waiting for the play to reach you, and then automatically sends you to a brand new table, with a new set of hole cards, and a new set of opponents. This means there’s no waiting for play to come around to you and, when you have a trash hand or simply don’t want any further involvement in a pot, you can get straight into a new hand immediately. Over the course of a typical session of poker, the Blaze version allows you to get the most out of your time.

Maximising your time at the tables means more hands per hour, and more hands per hour, of course (even without multi-tabling), means being able to fully take advantage of our excellent 30% Rakeback deal.

Add to this the fact that this format also helps maintain a higher level of solidity compared to the standard format where we tend to be less patient and thus a little looser than we’d like to admit, and Blaze Poker is a noteworthy alternative to the traditional online experience. Knowing that it’s possible to immediately start a new hand certainly makes it easier to get rid of bad habits!

Play on our Blaze Poker tables now and take advantage of the Blaze of Glory – we’re giving away €500 in cash prizes and an exclusive freeroll, every week!  Check out the dedicated leaderboard that keeps track of the Redbacks you earn on Blaze tables from Monday to Sunday. If you manage to finish in the top 12 you’ll receive a share of €250, while simply making it on the leaderboard (minimum 100 Redbacks) is enough to earn free entry to our weekly €250 Blaze of Glory Freeroll.

Good luck at the Blaze tables, and with Blaze of Glory!

Blazing Cannon is back!

If you missed it before you’ll have plenty of time to enjoy its re-introduction to 32Red Poker because it’s here until the end of March.

The attraction of Blaze Poker is the Quick Fold facility. Clicking on the Quick Fold button automatically folds your hand – without waiting for the play to reach you – and immediately sends you to a brand new table, with a new set of hole cards, and a new set of opponents. Not having to wait for play to come around to you and, subsequently, for a hand to finish when you have too poor a holding to get involved, can make a considerable difference to a poker session in terms of time. And herein lies the beauty of Blaze Poker – Quick Fold allows you to simply get on with it and make the most of your time.

Moreover, this format also helps maintain a higher level of solidity because in a ‘normal’ game we tend to be less patient and thus a little looser than we’d like to admit – such a weakness is less likely when we know that we’re maximising our hands per hour and can trade in a trash hand for two new cards in a second or two. And more hands per hour, of course (even without multi-tabling), means being able to fully take advantage of our excellent 30% Rakeback deal.

As for the fun Blazing Cannon itself, simply win 20 raked hands and a video game opens in which you have a chance of winning up to €100! Fire a burning chip from a cannon into a house of cards – avoiding pesky birds and UFOs, and see if you’re in line for a cash prize. When the game ends you’re simply dealt back into your cash game.

Good luck at the Blaze tables, and with Blazing Cannon!

Angus Dunnington (AngusD at the tables)
32Red Poker Ambassador 

Christmas Comes Early with 32Red’s Blaze Cash Drop

There’s no need to wait until Christmas Day for gifts because we’re giving away over €10,000 in the form of a €10 Cash Drop every ten minutes, from 9-15 December! The promotion will run exclusively on our fantastic 6-max Blaze Poker tables. The lucky recipients are notified and paid immediately, and there is the added bonus of everyone at the table being alerted to the fact that you’ve just become €10 richer (there’s nothing like a bit of old-fashioned green-eyed envy to induce in your opponents a dash of tilt).

If you haven’t tried out our Blaze Poker tables already, the beauty of this format is that clicking on the special ‘Quick Fold’ button automatically folds your hand (without waiting for the play to reach you) and immediately sends you through the ether to a new table with a new set of hole cards, and a new set of opponents. Whenever you’re dealt a two-card helping of rubbish or you don’t want to play a further part in a hand, simply Quick Fold and move on to pastures new.

Apart from having advantages in terms of helping you tighten up your game (or avoid being too loose) because impatience should no longer be an issue, Blaze Poker also gives players more hands per hour with which to make the most of our excellent 30% Rakeback deal. Multi-table, and the rewards are even greater, of course.

Meanwhile, getting involved in the Blaze Cash Drop also means you have a chance to be transported to our fun Blazing Cannon video game – win 20 raked hands and you earn a shot at a €100 prize. Once you’ve played the game you’re dealt back into your cash game. Click here to find out more.

Good luck at the Blaze Poker tables!

32 Days of Poker

For lots of people Christmas might be no more than visiting relatives we’d rather avoid, politely eating brussels sprouts at awkward family dinners and a couple of weeks on a diet of turkey and aging mince pies. Add to this an annoying blizzard of Christmas-themed television (even the cinemas join in) and tinsel and decorations and loads of other Christmassy stuff as soon as you set foot out of the house, and the chance to enjoy some poker will be a welcome oasis of calm.

Luckily for you, 32Red Poker’s fun-filled 32 days of Poker is here. Running from December 1st until January 1st, the extended Xmas festivities have something for everyone, from value-added tournaments to bonuses and, of courses, presents in the form of Freerolls.

It’s a lovely load of baubles… simply click here to visit our special advent calendar, with 32 baubles decorating our 32Red tree. Behind each bauble a surprise awaits for each of the 32 days. On Thursday 5th December, for example, there’s a €5+€1 buy-in €100 added Flush Royale tournament at 9pm UK time (hit a royal flush and win the €1000 jackpot!), while on Day 20 you can receive 50 bonus chips just by logging on!

The Xmas season’s specials culminate in the Goodbye €2013 Freeroll tournament on 28-29th December (9pm UK time on both nights; play 2013 raked hands during December to qualify) followed by the Hello €2014 Freeroll on Wednesday 1st January (5pm UK time).

If Blaze poker is your thing, the Blazing Cannon game will also have a Xmas theme (from Monday 2nd December). To qualify for the Blazing Cannon feature simply win 20 raked hands on any €0.05/€0.10 or €0.25/€0.50 Blaze tables and the game will launch, complete with snow and Father Christmas, and a chance to win €100…

Good luck at the tables! Have fun, and keep checking out what Christmas goodies are coming your way during the 32 Days of Poker.

Blaze Poker, A Few Thoughts (Part 3: Starting Hands)

In our third and final part of this Blaze Poker series we’re going to take a look at some specific hands, and how we might consider playing them, taking into account the ostensibly slight but nonetheless significant difference between Blaze and ‘standard’ cash game poker.

Let’s start with the two most ‘obvious’ strong hands:

AA/KK

Ideally we’d like to get all-in pre-flop, not come unstuck with aces, and not run into aces with kings (this will happen from time to time – c’est la vie)… To this end we should be raising from any position and not forgetting to 3-bet. When faced with a 4-bet in position but afraid a lone opponent might not fully commit it’s fine to call and await the inevitable continuation bet on the flop, at which point we pounce.

If there’s been a pre-flop betting battle we should be ready to push on the flop. With less action, and thus a smaller pot, alarm bells should start ringing if anyone gets busy. With  very little/no action pre-flop, try for the pot and fold to unsubtle aggression. The golden rule is to not get carried away.

QQ/JJ

Awkward. Without additional information about opponents it would be folly to go all-in pre-flop. However, while these hands can be trouble, that isn’t to say we shouldn’t be aggressive with them. The key is knowing when to back off. Consequently, pre-flop aggression in order to pick up small pots and bully the opposition into submission is a worthy approach, as long as we think clearly when someone appears fearless. We might be on a level footing against AK and firmly in the driving seat against AQ or a lower pair, but serious consideration should be given to what kind of holding would justify someone 4-betting.

If we’ve priced the speculative hands out of the market we should be in a good position come the majority of flops to bet and push.

Set-Mining

Pre-flop: This is the interesting bit. Blaze Poker being fast and furious throws up AA and KK all over the place, and these are exactly the hands we want to be playing against when we hit a set, particularly when the extra solid strategy so many adopt can lead to players putting too much emphasis on these premium holdings. They won’t be playing as many hands and thus won’t be too keen on giving up on a chance to double up, in turn eliciting poor decisions post-flop.

A counter-intuitive but interesting strategy is to raise small to medium pairs from any position. However, any remaining action depends on position. It’s prudent for example, to call a 3-bet only in position or when stack sizes/pot odds so justify. Meanwhile, when facing a 3-bet out of position against a short stack we can strike back.

Flop: The easy bit regarding set-mining concerns the flop. Clearly, if we don’t hit with our pair of fours, for instance, there’s no point wasting any chips trying to be imaginative or tricky, especially when Blaze Poker means we can immediately embark on a new adventure.

Hitting our set is another kettle of fish entirely. Of course we need to put in big bets but it’s imperative we size them in such a way as to keep the opposition involved. We also need to remember not to allow cheap draws.

Others

With non-pair hands position is, not surprisingly, paramount. AK can be played aggressively but we must respect significant aggression. Holdings like AJ should be dumped out of position and raised from middle to late, but folded under pressure. If we hit an ace on the flop we bet or raise and either pick up the pot or act accordingly. If we’re called it’s time to put on the brakes and concentrate on pot control.

In late position stealing blinds tends to be easier in Blaze Poker than usual and thus we can work with a reasonably flexible range. The sobering downside is when we come up against resistance from someone in the blinds, as there tends to be a reason why they haven’t clicked on auto-fold. With this in mind, throwing in the occasional steal raise with, say, 56 suited is a  nice way to jazz it up a bit.

Good luck on the Blaze Poker tables!
Angus Dunnington (AngusD at the tables)
32Red Poker Ambassador

Blaze Poker – A Few Thoughts (Part 2)

Stereotypes

Players tend to treat Blaze Poker almost as an academic exercise, causing them to overdo their strategic adjustments in some way. This is based on the very reasonable assumption that most players – whether new to the format or happy with their approach – will adopt a more conservative methodology than in ‘normal’ games. Consequently, as in life, we yet again need to find a level of compromise. We should obviously take advantage of the facility to start a new hand immediately when we’ve been dealt garbage, but we don’t want to get into the habit of automatically folding anything but premium hands, or giving up too easily after the flop  – passive play the loose aggressive players will feed on. Nor do we want to obligingly call against the rocks. We should find a balance across the board, from a not-too-tight starting hand range to flexibility post-flop.

Concentrate!

Of course we should be fully concentrated anyway, regardless of what kind of game we’re playing. But we rarely practise what we preach, and Blaze Poker requires us to devote all our attention to the game. Compared to a normal cash game, when there’s often an opportunity to sit back and recharge the batteries a little during hands in which we have folded early (although we should then be observing what’s going on), in this format we’re constantly called upon to play. To think. It’s easy to slip into autopilot mode, insta-folding hand after hand and perhaps not being fully tuned in when the time comes to get involved.

It can also be draining when we play a series of consecutive pots, especially when sitting at two or more tables. Even one table can be difficult to handle.

But if the increased volume of hands played is one of the main attractions in terms of getting more out of 32Red’s 30% rakeback deal, we should at least put things in perspective when starting to tire or when we feel that the game is drifting away from us. As soon as this happens it’s time for a break – the tables will still be there when we are refreshed and ready to play at maximum capacity once again.

Blaze Poker as a Learning Tool

It can be difficult sometimes to both recognise and fully acknowledge our weaknesses, and Blaze Poker can be a good servicing tool in that it can throw an uncomfortable spotlight on to our play. Whatever leaks and holes we might have failed or been unwilling to identify before will be all the more conspicuous in this format, where the timescale we’re used to goes into overdrive. Moreover, if we’re doing badly when given the luxury of the instant fold, then we’re running out of excuses, and something is clearly fundamentally wrong with our game.

Aggression is good

Because there’s going to be lots of folding – both through the use of the ‘instant’ fold facility as well as after a little more thought – we shouldn’t be afraid to incorporate into our strategy open raising, regardless of position, with considerably more than just the premium hands. Small pairs (see Part 3) and suited connectors are fine, and when we don’t steal the blinds we’re assuming the initiative with tricky, potentially monster hands. Of course against a couple or more callers it’s subsequently a rather risky tactic to bluff a missed flop, but when heads-up a decent frequency of continuation bets is feasible.

Should we run into aggression ourselves, then it’s generally a play backed up by a strong hand (particularly a check-raise). That’s not to say we should automatically give up without a fight every time we come under pressure, and not properly take into account any relevant factors that might be available, but aggression in Blaze Poker is more likely to be ‘honest’ than is the case in standard cash games.

All-in Blues

Given that the majority of players can be expected to be more patient, as well as the fact that we’re playing considerably more hands than on normal tables, we should note that in all-in situations we’re going to find ourselves facing bigger hands more frequently. It’s less of a surprise in Blaze Poker for KK to lose to AA because those who usually might have been tempted to shove with KQ, for example (or simply gamble), will now be trashing those hands in eager anticipation of aces coming along.

Consequently, with this in mind, not only must we be prepared for such eventualities, but this should be factored into our bankroll considerations, too. Any swings are going to be happening over a shorter period of time.

In Part 3 we will consider the implications in Blaze Poker of certain starting hands.

Good luck at the Blaze Poker tables!

Angus Dunnington (AngusD at the tables)
32Red Poker Ambassador

Blaze Poker – A Few Thoughts (Part 1)

Like many people who first saw the ads for the new (video-) game feature at 32Red Poker that is the amusing Blazing Cannon, I fancied a go at earning a chance of winning €100 for simply firing a burning chip out of a cute little cannon and knocking down a bunch of cards (of course it’s pure, 100% luck but if we win a cash prize it seems otherwise).

The whole point of Blaze Poker is that we can avail ourselves of the incredibly convenient Quick Fold facility to immediately leave the table as soon as we fold, to be magically transported to a brand new table and find ourselves with two shiny new hole cards. No need to wait for the original hand to be played out because we’re no longer there any more, and we continue to be fast-tracked to a new table – and a freshly dealt hand – each time we fold.

The obvious advantage is time, and thus the attraction is being able to dispense quickly with the poor hands and experience stronger ones more often (time-wise), and of course get more out of 32Red’s 30% Rakeback deal in doing so.

Not having played Blaze Poker for a while, and busy enjoying the dinky features that accompany the actual poker table (a fuse that burns away with each raked hand won until it reaches a cannon and ignites to send us to the game itself), it took me a while to realise that I wasn’t giving the format, and how it differs from standard No Limit, the slightest consideration.

With this in mind – and ‘inspired’ by my showing the game insufficient respect and being duly punished – here (and in Part 2) are some recent thoughts about Blaze Poker.

Time

A bit obvious, this one. We save quite a lot of time being able to start a new hand only seconds after clicking on the Quick Fold button compared with however long it usually takes for a hand to finish. In the modern day game of rakeback and volume of hands and so on, this can make a difference even to a casual player in the long-run.

There are also time-related tells to keep an eye out for. A quick call, for example, tends to suggest someone is either on a draw or perhaps has a made but ‘weak’ hand.

Table Image

It has been said that in rush poker there is no such thing as table image because every player gets a new set of opponents every hand. This is true, but not necessarily to such an extent that we can’t cultivate some kind of image, as we tend to come across the same players over time as we constantly flit around the tables. Moreover, the nature of Blaze poker affords us a unique way in which to generate multiple table images. There will be a few very observant players but, typically, only our opponents in a hand will be taking any notice of what’s happening. Remember, too, that in a heads-up scenario, for instance, others will have folded and be long gone. Therefore, since we can bump into a specific player in one hand, then again some time later, it’s worth bearing in mind that whatever information they garner will be used when next we meet. Of course this works the other way round, too, although generally whatever we pick up could come in handy.

More in Part 2.

Good luck at the tables!

Angus Dunnington (AngusD at the tables)
32Red Poker Ambassador

Blazing Cannon is now live!

When’s the last time you were sitting playing a nice game of cash poker and suddenly found yourself transported to a classic style video game that even came with the prospect of instant cash prizes? At 32Red Poker such a scenario is now possible.

Blaze Poker is about to get more exciting thanks to a novel twist that introduces a mini video game feature which can see you winning cash prizes of up to €100. It’s called Blazing Cannon Poker, and all you need to do to gain access to the feature is play on the special tables (€0.05/€0.10 and €0.25/€0.50) and win 20 raked hands.

When you manage this the game launches and your task is to fire a burning chip from a cannon into a house of cards, winning  €1, €10, a whopping €100 or nothing depending on how successful you are in knocking down the cards. It’s a game of pure chance (you get to choose which of three positions from which to fire the cannon) and the animated adventure comes complete with typical video game features, such as birds scuppering your chances by colliding with the chip before it reaches the desired target.

Once the game is over you’re automatically returned to your Blaze Poker cash game and dealt in at the earliest convenient opportunity, and any winnings you might have picked up are simply added to your stack for your opponents to see. If, for example, you’re playing at a €0.05/€0.10 table and had a stack of €5 when you entered the Blazing Cannon feature, striking lucky could mean returning from your cannon-firing escapade to subsequently play with a mighty €105 stack!

Blazing Cannon tables have a special theme to make it easy to keep track on how many pots are required to win for a crack at the game. A counter is displayed on a cannon, and each time you win (or share) a pot the cannon’s fuse gradually burns down until the 20th and last pot won launches Blazing Cannon.

Good luck at the Blazing Cannon tables!

Blaze Cash Drop

The latest promotion at 32Red Poker will add spice to an already intriguing form of the game – Blaze Poker. For those of you new to 32Red, or if you’ve not yet reached veteran status and therefore haven’t tried Blaze, it is a modern, pacy twist on the game that some would argue is the perfect format. When not involved in a hand, instead of sitting and waiting for the other players to make their decisions and so on until the hand is played out and you’re finally dealt in again, Blaze provides you with a ‘Quick Fold’ facility that allows you to be transported through the ether to immediately be dealt in on a brand new table (and with a fresh deck, of course).

The advantages of this format are clear: you’re always going to be involved in the action, your play won’t be heavily scrutinised during a session by the more dangerous, observant players because you’ll be transferred to a new table as soon as you fold and – crucially for more experienced cash game players – the fact that you can multi-table means being able to take advantage of 32Red’s 30% Rakeback deal at a much quicker rate of play than is usually the case (without losing any thinking time!). Note that you don’t even have to avail yourself of the Quick Fold option.

The Blaze Cash Drop takes place between 30 July and 6 August and, quite simply, throughout this period a €10 Cash Drop will happen every five minutes somewhere on a 6-max Blaze cash table, with €20,000 ultimately being given away exclusively to Blaze Poker players.

If you’re one of the recipients of this free money you’ll be paid immediately and all other Blaze players will see that you’re the winner for that 5-minute slot.

Blaze tables can be found by clicking on the Cash Games tab in the Poker Lobby.

Good luck at the Blaze tables!

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