Zoom Poker - An Astonishing Success

Thanks to PokerStars' latest fast ring game format, Zoom Poker has already dealt 50% more hands than before its release, increasing the cash game traffic dramatically.

As Rakerace.com reported [3], PokerStars [4] has released the public beta of its fast-paced ring game, Zoom Poker on 24 February at play money tables, and finally they released it for real money tables with the latest client update on 16 March. 

Since the debut went very well and without any problems, PokerStars will introduce some higher stakes to the new format - according to their press release up until $0,5/$1. New games will also be released with the update that is promised to be released on 19 May. These will be Limit Hold'em, Omaha and Omaha Hi-Lo, but Zoom SNGs are also rumored to be under development.

Even though only a few days passed since the release of real money Zoom Poker, it is already clear that the new fast-paced game is a huge success. According to data by PokerScout, Zoom Poker gives 25% of PokerStars's cash game traffic and since they are playing 3 times as many hands as players sitting at regular tables, 50% of the cash game hands dealt are dealt at Zoom Poker tables.

Online poker traffic declined last week, 9 out of 10 rooms or networks reported a drop, 6 of them above 5%. PokerStars only dropped 1.1%, and thanks to Zoom Poker, the number of hands dealt increased by 50%.

These tendencies show that fast-paced games will refresh, if not revolutionize online poker once again; it's not a coincidence that Unibet and Betsson will soon release their own fast games [5], dubbed Fast Poker. Terminal Poker, however must have sensed this tendency, they only offer fast tables.