Stand Up Poker format is one of the most exciting live game variants of the game, which adds an interesting nuance to the game.
It is a very popular among the high stakes players, especially, who look for even bigger thrill from poker. Casinos in Vegas caught the Stand Up Poker bug and now a ton of new players already are investigating what the fuss is all about. So let’s go over the rules and what makes Stand Up Poker so exciting.
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What are the Stand Up Poker Rules ?
- As the name suggests, the Stand Up Poker game begins with everyone standing up .
- Before the game starts, everyone agrees on a table bounty in big blinds ( or range of bounties), which is paid in the end by the losing player, to everyone else.
- Players can only return to their seats after winning a pot. This includes blind steals and walks, but chops don’t count.
- The last player standing up, must pay all other players at the table a bounty, usually in the range of 2 to 5 big blinds.
Let’s say the tax for losing is 5 big blinds. Stakes are 5/10$.
In this scenario the last standing up player pays everyone else $50. You can only imagine, that losing Stand Up Poker game in a full ring format of 9 players, is even worse, than the traditional 6-seated games.
Like most side games played at the poker table, stand-up games carry increased risk, with the loser penalized further for their loss. This is why towards the end of the game, when there are fewer people standing up, it becomes a bloodbath. Do not expect traditional bet sizing. The ranges change dramatically, due to the danger of having to pay the penalty , as the last man standing.
Stand Up Poker Strategy
As already mentioned, once there are 2 or 3 players left, you should consider open raising for much bigger sizes. The number one priority is to win a pot, in a perfect world, uncontested. This way, you make sure, that penalty is avoided and can potentially exploit the remaining players, who are standing up.
Since they will be desperately looking to win a pot, you can easily trap them with a premium hand.
After playing a few stand up poker games, you will quickly realize that sitting down, as early, as possible, is the best advantage you can have in the game.
If you are lucky enough to sit early, you can start exploiting your opponents, who are standing up and do their best to win the pot.
The best part is, that you do not have the pressure of winning a pot and can pick your battles, in a much smarter and calculated way.
Simple adjustments such as bigger raises or re-raises for players who are still standing can be very profitable. If the big blind is still there and you have a strong hand, you can make a bigger raise than normal and will probably get called anyway.
On the opposite side of the coin, if you are from the last standing players, prepare to play as loosely as possible. Do not hesitate to go All In with some draws on the flop or semi-bluffing with huge bets, to try and force your opponents out of the hand. Remember, it is very likely that they are in the hand with weak holdings, so do not worry about them having a super strong hands. After all, they just try to steal a pot, just like you.
Remember to always play your strong hands, aggressively, when in a Stand Up Poker game. There is no reason to be shy. It very rarely makes sense to trap, when you are almost guaranteed to have one or multiple callers, due to the nature of the game. So please, fast-play your monster hands to quickly sit down and collect some hefty pots. Win-Win.
Can you only play Stand Up Poker and be profitable ?
Of course, spending more time than the average player and specializing in any game type gives you huge advantage.
However, playing stand up poker for multiple hours a day, can be very annoying. Standing for long periods of time can be tiresome. On top of that, the variance can be huge. It is definitely a riskier way to profit from poker, if played against competent players. But if you play against hobby enthusiasts, you can completely dominate the game. And not only because of avoiding to be the last man standing. The key to large winnings, is exploiting the players, who have not adjusted to the rules or are too predictable.
To discover more fun and interesting poker variations, check out this list. And if you want to directly play them and learn on the go, check all the poker apps, offering some interesting formats, such as Bomb Pot, Double Board, 6+ Omaha, NLH Swap, Pineapple Holdem and few others.
