Fastforward is one of the most exciting way to play online poker cash games at PartyPoker Ontario, and also potentially one of the most profitable too. Our fastforward cash games not only earn you cashback quicker than any of our other poker formats thanks to them awarding more cashback points per $1 of contributed rake, but so many fastforward players make the same mistakes over and over again, mistakes you should capitalise on.
What is fastforward Poker?
Fastforward is PartyPoker Ontario’s version of fast-fold poker. These games are strikingly similar to regular cash games but they have a couple of key differences.
First, unlike a regular cash game, fastforward players are not tied to one table for the duration of their session. Indeed, you move to a new table after the completion of each hand, which also means you face new opponents because you are part of a pool of players.
Second, unless you are in the big blind and someone is yet to act, you can fold out of turn and end the hand there and then. Folding results in you being whisked away to a different table with new opponents and, more importantly, a fresh set of hole cards.
The fast-fold nature of fastforward means you need never wait for a premium hand again because you can click the fold button however many times you wish until you are happy with your starting hand.
How Do You Beat fastforward Games?
One of the first things that should be apparent is most players will no longer by playing with complete trash hands, such as nine-four offsuit because they can instantly fold these and move onto another hand. However, many players will still fall into the trap of playing danger hands such as queen-ten and king-jack and doing so out of position simply because they look pretty.
On the whole, as a sweeping statement, fastforward games play much tighter than regular cash games. Those who read our strategy articles will know that it is often best to adopt a strategy that is opposite to the one employed by most of your opponents to stand the best chance of winning. With that in mind, you should prepare to play a style that edges towards being loose-aggressive, particularly in late position.
Frequently Steal the Blinds
Steal the blinds liberally because you will often find one of two things happens. One, the blinds will fold and you win the pot. Or two, they will call your steal attempt but then check-fold the flop. Remember that the players who do call from the blinds are likely to have a stronger than usual holding because they will likely fold out the bottom parts of their range.
When you find yourself in the blinds, you should probably three-bet late position raises than you would in a traditional cash game. This is because most players know to play loosely in late position, and will do so with hands that cannot withstand a three-bet. Likewise, as the late position raiser knows you can instantly fold your weakest hands, they will often give you credit or holding a strong hand, and just give up there and then.
Position is Even More Powerful
Be aware of raisers from under the gun or early position because these tend to be made with premium hands for reasons we have outlined above. Set mining or calling these raises with suited connectors can be a good strategy because cracking a premium pair can lead to significant gains.
Another common mistake fastforward players make is not keeping their foot on the gas. They will raise preflop, get called, fire a continuation bet on the flop, then give up on the turn. C-bets are more common because players know fastforward lends itself to straight forward ABC poker, with players often folding and starting a new hand rather than fight it out in marginal spots.
You should also take more notes than you typically because you will not face the same opponents often enough to get a read on them. Be prepared to alter those notes as you play more hands against them; we can guarantee large percentages of the fastforward player pool are not doing this.
Above all, remember that fastforward is essentially the same as other cash games. Do not start playing like a mania and expect to win, nor should you only stick to one playing style. Do the opposite of your opponents and you could win big at the PartyPoker Ontario fastforward tables.
