Ever since Full Tilt Poker released Rush Poker earlier this year, all of the other online poker sites have been scrambling to figure out how to compete with “poker’s most addictive” game. Recently, PartyPoker introduced a new variation called Double Hold’em that might offer the same hot action as Rush Poker.
The concept of Double Hold’em was created by a company called TableBrain, which introduced it to PartyPoker with the idea of allowing players to have more playable hands and get into larger pots. Two math buddies who had a common passion for poker originally created the game in 2006. Double Hold’em was refined over the course of three years while its development team pitched it to many different minds in the industry. Eventually, it was adopted into PartyPoker as a new and exciting form of the game.
The concept is fairly simple. Each player is dealt three hole cards (not two) and there is a round of betting. After the flop, each player sets his cards in a “V” shape. The point card plays with each of the other cards, but the non-point cards do not play with each other. Thus, each player actually creates a pair of two-card hands. Then, the traditional turn and river cards are dealt and also have rounds of betting. In the end, you play your best five-card hand. Basically, it’s like Hold’em, but with an added decision that affects your hand and multiplies your possibilities.
When prompted, pick the card you want to be the point card and it will automatically move to the center. Both of your resulting hands can use all five community cards for “twice the fun” as compared to regular Hold’em. Remember, the stronger of the two hands is the one that is played. If two or more players hold the same five-card winning hand, then the pot is chopped between the remaining players.
Reaction on various forums to Double Hold’em has been fairly positive. Many players have accidentally lost big pots because they didn’t realize that the point card plays and creates two hands. It was their error in judgment, while some believed that the point card was actually discarded. Players hopping on to PartyPoker should note that Double Hold’em is not available on the “Classic” table and only open to those that set themselves up for the “Modern” table within the “Preferences” area of the lobby.
Visit Party Poker for more information about Double Hold’em.
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