New changes are being made with effect from 8th April 2010 at CakePoker.com when this leading Curacao-licensed online poker room increases the minimum buy-in for its no-limit hold’em games from 20 big blinds to 30. It is hoped that this new policy will help to decrease short-stack play and offer players more fun and competitiveness.
Cake.Poker.com will still, however, continue to offer players who enjoy playing short-stack games tables with low-stake games for 20 big blinds.
Lee Jones, Card Room Manager for CakePoker.com stated “We realise that the issue of 'short-staking is a contentious one. It's completely within the rules of poker to play a short-stack as long as you buy in for at least the minimum amount. For that reason, we were hesitant to make any changes in our minimum buy-ins.
“However, taken to their extreme, short-stack strategies all but eliminate any post-flop play in no-limit hold'em. Furthermore, online poker allows players to double up their short-stack and then immediately leave their table and move to another one. This is something that would be impossible in ‘bricks and mortar’ poker. For that reason, we felt obliged to make a change that would ensure those who want to play larger stacks have an environment in which they can do that. We believe that moving to a 30 big-blinds minimum buy-in will accomplish this”
He added that they would offer “shallow tables” with a buy-in range of 20 – 50 big blinds in their smaller groups where newbies can get training and short-stack specialists can practice. The casino will also offer 30 – 100 big blinds buy-in games at those stakes.