PokerStars reduces the maximum number of Cash games tables

PokerioSchool.comUpdated 11 February 2020
This is not the first time a PokerStars room has been in the poker news for decisions that are unacceptable to poker players. This time, PokerStars management has decided to reduce the maximum number of Cash Games tables to four. This change, they say, is supposed to encourage long-term casual play, but poker professionals think otherwise.
Cash games table limit

Just a few days ago, PokerStars sent out emails to the highest table-playing Cash games players, informing them that the maximum number of tables will be reduced to 4 as of August 20. Prior to this change, any player could play up to 24 Cash games tables at a time. Phil Galfond has implemented a similar change in his Run It Once Poker room, reducing the maximum number of Cash tables to 6.

High-volume multi-tabling has long been a source of profit for some Cash games players, and players like "nanonoko" or Joey Ingram, famous in the poker world for his ability to play huge amounts of hands a day.

Prior to this change, PokerStars tested the new table limit at PokerStars Italy. According to the management, this change met their expectations and has been rolled out to all fields in this room. The reduction in the number of tables was met with a backlash and criticism from poker players. Two Plus Two Criticism of the PokerStars room for making it increasingly difficult for regular players has been rife on the forum.

According to PokerStars management, this change should improve the game for both regular and casual players. Casual players will have less busy tables volume-reg players, allowing the first players to play longer and more and lose less money per hour. For regular players, this change should bring a wider field of casual players and better conditions at higher limits.

Phil Galfond takes a similar stance to the PokerStars management. According to him, the fewer tables a professional can play, the higher the ratio of casual players will be, which should have a positive effect on BB/100 for every player:

„The main purpose of limiting the number of tables is to improve the quality of the average game. Generally, those who play 8-24 tables are professional players and those who play one table are casual players. This means that the ratio of professional to casual players is heavily skewed towards regular players.

The fewer tables a regular player can play, the fewer seats at the table will be occupied by that player, which will improve the win/loss ratio.”

True, Two Plus Two Players playing on PokerStars.IT servers have noticed that the higher limit tables disappeared very quickly once this change was implemented. One participant in the Two Plus Two forum commented that the maximum number of tables reduces the total number of tables for casual players, so that casual players can choose other poker or casino game formats. What real changes are in store for the PokerStars Room and Cash games we can only speculate and hope for the best.

Fortunately for the Cash games player, this format is available in any poker room, so this change can be avoided. For Cash players, the Poker School recommends the BestPoker room: