Patrick Leonard is pushing for bomb pots to be implemented in online cash games to reduce the effectiveness of GTO poker solvers.
The prevalence of high-powered software has increased the difference in playing strength between the regs and recreational players over recent years and now people are looking to fight back.
Every player pays 1bb every hand to a “bonus pot” the pot increases every hand until somebody has a flush/straight/set. This makes poker solvers way less powerful and encourages looser play. What am I missing and why does every site not do it?
— Patrick Leonard (@padspoker) February 7, 2022
Patrick Leonard Wants Bomb Pots in Online Cash Games
The idea Leonard has in mind is that all players have to drop just a single big blind into a bonus pot at the start of every hand. The pot would then be triggered if a set or higher is the winning hand.
This is similar to a concept known in live poker circles as a “bomb” pot but the idea has yet to grace the online poker world.
Leonard also points out that not only does this idea make GTO solvers much less powerful, it also encourages looser play. Even recreational players lose interest when a table is full of nits making the action slow and boring.
It’s a win-win, unless you’re a high-level, GTO-obsessed pro.
Why Are There No Bomb Pots in Online Poker?
Bomb pots look to have grown in popularity across the casinos of the United States. Brought in to make poker even more fun and exciting, the idea was quickly embraced by recreational players more concerned about enjoying their evenings than any profit.
Not every hand during a session is a bomb pot, it’s just a frequent, random decision agreed upon by all players.
The issue that is now annoying more than a few players is that the average cost across casino is a whopping five big blinds ante per hand. This makes the pot size so large that it almost does away with any “real” poker.
Another problem is that because players get pot-committed more easily in a large pot, often the bomb pot guarantees that at least one player will bust while the winner might be so overjoyed at the size of the win they just up and leave.
Patrick Leonard’s idea is kind of a compromise over the extreme nature of a bomb pot and has conditions still ensuring the pot will be won frequently enough without players needing to wait too long.
It makes solvers temporarily less powerful, until we figure that out too and adds another level of complication where the players willing to figure it out gain an even bigger edge 😁
— JR (@JR60946856) February 7, 2022
There is one drawback, though. As one Twitter poster pointed out, these new bumps in the road might inconvenience the best players temporarily but it’s only a matter of time before the idea actually turns into an edge.
Good players are always looking to turn an unknown spot into an advantage while the recreational players will continue having fun but start to lose even more.
- Get the best rakeback
- View all poker strategy articles
- View the latest poker news
- Watch more poker videos
- Get the biggest poker bonus
- Watch the best Twitch Poker streamers
Terms and conditions apply. New customer offer and 18+ only. Should you require help regarding your betting pattern, please visit www.begambleaware.org
