Online poker sites are constantly trying to mix up gaming options in order to keep players logging in on a regular basis. Operators like PokerStars know what players want and will provide new formats, tournaments or contests to keep poker exciting. PokerStars actually just launched a new format known as Swap Hold’em, launching via dot-com sites. However, players in the US will not have access to the new gaming option.
What is Swap Hold’em?
The new poker game is a mixture of Texas Hold’em and draw poker. When playing, the dealer hands out two hole cards to the player. The flop, turn and river are dealt just as in regular hold’em. The twist to the game is found when players can choose to swap out one or both of their hole cards before making a decision on the hand.
Players have the option to swap only once per hand and they don’t have to if they don’t want to. This new format is a nice way to change up gameplay without making things to complicated or confusing.
No Stranger to New Innovations
PokerStars has been creating new and exciting poker innovations for a few years now, having started in early 2018 with such titles as Unfold, Deepwater Hold’em, tempest, Split Hold’em and more. The new games are added for a short time and then removed depending on popularity among players.
New concepts can be hard to catch on especially when there are traditional favorites like Omaha and Texas Hold’em. Players tend to try the new formats but eventually lose interest as they go back to what they played before.
While some games have been added and removed, there are a few that have stuck around. Take 6+ Hold’em for example. This game is now a permanent title on offer at most sites provided by PokerStars due to how popular the game was.
PokerStars is offering the new Swap Hold’em at their dot-com sites and it will hopefully be added in the US within the near future. PokerStars is offered in New Jersey and Pennsylvania and both states see a nice flow of traffic via the operator.
For the new game, one problem in the US is that regulatory approvals are needed before a new title can go live. In the US, online poker is still relatively new, so operators may be less inclined to approve gaming options as quickly as international regulators.
It is also important to consider the traffic in the US. Pennsylvania is seeing more traffic than New Jersey, but both are still now pulling in the numbers needed to be able to handle multiple gaming formats. Perhaps if the online poker industry becomes more popular in the future, we may see the game or other formats added in the US.
For now, we can watch as see how popular the Swap Hold’em game fares on an international level and if the game is added as a permanent fixture or one that will be removed in a few months.
