PokerStars Brings Deep Water Hold’em and Tempest Hold’em

Deep Water Hold’em and PokerStars Tempest Hold’em are two new cash game variations that industry leader PokerStars is introducing for a limited time. Both variants are now playable.

Deep Water Hold’em is mostly based on Texas Hold’em. What’s new is that ante bets increase when a hand ends without a showdown. There is also a third blind bet.

PokerStars Tempest Hold’em works just like Deep Water Hold’em. The ante bets follow the same rules, plus a third blind bet. However, as with Push or Fold tables, players have only two options to choose from: All-in or fold.

The 6-max No-Limit Hold ’em format is retained, but with three blinds. The classic Small Blind and Big Blind are joined by the Giant Blind, which is twice the size of the Big Blind. Deep Water is a deep-stack game – you can buy in for 50 to 150 Giant Blinds (up to 300 Big Blinds). PokerStars Tempest is quite a simple push or fold game – ideal for players who appreciate the thrill and want to try a brand new variation.

Deepwater and PokerStars Tempest are already available through the UK and NET clients. The other clients-.EU.COM and so on – will follow shortly.

To Deep Water Hold’em:

-At the beginning of a hand, each player pays an ante bet. The amount of the bet depends on the results of previous hands:
-If there was a showdown in the last hand, the ante bet will be reset to the minimum.
-If the showdown is not reached in the last hand, the ante bets will rise to a maximum value.
-Also, the player to the left of the Big Blind pays a third blind, the Giant Blind. The Giant Blind is twice the size of the Big Blind.
-During a Heads-Up game, the player on the Dealer button pays the Big Blind, and his opponent pays the Giant Blind.

Similar rules apply to PokerStars Tempest Hold’em:

-At the beginning of a hand, each player pays an ante bet. The amount of the bet depends on the results of previous hands:
-If there was a showdown in the last hand, the ante bet will be reset to the minimum.
-If the showdown in the last hand is not reached, the ante bets will rise to a maximum value (displayed in a window).
-Also, the player to the left of the big blind pays a third blind bet, the Giant Blind. The Giant Blind is twice the size of the Big Blind.

For the most part, the Texas Hold’em rules apply, with two exceptions:

-Players have only two betting choices before the flop: All-in or fold.
-Each pot has a “Cap”. This means you can never win or lose more than 10 Giant blinds in hand.
-During a Heads-Up game, the player on the Dealer button pays the Big Blind, and his opponent pays the Giant Blind.