Rush Poker: Playing Preflop Profitably

Rush Poker is a massive gift to players who have a solid card game. You’re now able to quick fold your way through crappy hands. You no longer need to wait for ages in between deals. The speed of the game rewards players with solid card-playing skills, and shifts reading ability and metagame considerations to the background.

Rush Poker is more about playing your cards properly than influencing people’s decisions. Thus it is more important than ever to have a solid grasp on card-based strategy. This is especially true of preflop play. There’s no excuse to be playing crappy hands preflop; if you can’t wait for a hand at the Rush Poker tables, you might as well give up.

That’s the thing: most players still—even though it’s inexcusable—won’t wait for good hands. Donkeys are going to be playing the same preflop garbage in Rush Poker as they did in regular-paced poker. Thus you gain a significant edge by tightening up.

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If you want to crush at Rush, here are some preflop tips:

Position is Still Important in Rush Poker

Just because you won’t have a running history with your opponents doesn’t mean you can ignore position. At any table, in any game, sitting in late position gives you a significant advantage in a hand. Do not ignore this.

Along the same lines, sitting in early position still puts you at a disadvantage in Rush Poker. Acting first is always a disadvantage; you don’t have the chance to see how other players are going to act. In late position, you’re privy to those details, and you can use them to color your decisions.

Thus you need to keep tight in early position. Stick to playing strong pairs (66+) and strong face cards (AQ+o, AJ+s). Never limp, always lead. In late position, you can loosen up. This is especially true when the action folds around to you. Don’t be afraid to play strong suited connectors (56s+) and suited one-gappers (79+) if you’ve got an open field.

Isolate Limpers to Control the Action

If you’re in late position facing a few limpers behind you, don’t be afraid to raise the action. Remember: players who limp in early position generally suck. These are the kinds of players you want to play pots against. Get them alone and absolutely abuse them. You’ll see lots of limpers in Rush Poker, and isolating these guys is where a lot of your profit will come from.

Don’t Auto-Fold in Late Position

The fast-paced nature of Rush Poker will get you accustomed to pressing quick fold semi-automatically. Try not to fall into this trap. Think about all of your decisions before ditching your hand. This is especially true when you’re seated in late position.

You might find yourself dealt in on the button with 8-Q suited. This hand—hopefully—isn’t a part of your regular range. However since you have a huge positional advantage, being on the button, you should not fold. If everyone before you folds, you’re in a good spot to steal the blinds. 8-Q suited is a strong enough hand to give it a try; failing to do so will lose you money in the long-run.

You Can Still Run Cold in Rush Poker

Don’t let it discourage you. It’s counter-intuitive, but playing Rush can actually encourage impatient play. Seeing a hand every 10 seconds should theoretically reduce the urge to play marginal preflop holdings. However that’s not how it actually works. Playing such a fast game simply increases one’s desire for instant gratification. Yes, even though you can sit back and wait for a good hand, the structure of the game encourages you not to. Ironic, no?

Pound the following into your brain: my edge in Rush Poker will come from my ability to wait. Nobody else wants to wait. That’s why nobody else is good. You, however—you’re really good. I know you are. That’s why you really focus on waiting for good hands.

Rush Poker is not a game of bluffs and tricks. It’s fundamentally a game of cards. It’s imperative that you focus intently on making correct decisions all the time. Every single button-click you make needs to be thought out twice, three times, four times… Five times if that’s what works for you.

The point is this: Rush Poker is structured so that you can put yourself in great situations rather quickly. Don’t fall into the speed trap; just because the game moves quickly doesn’t mean you have to. Play your regular, solid, ABC style of poker, and watch the stacks flow into your bankroll.