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What Does It Mean to Fold Fast in Poker?

What does it mean to fold fast in poker? Poker is constantly evolving, and fast folding is one innovation that has become extremely popular with online players.

Fold fast poker is a unique way to play at the top online poker rooms. This guide will break down the basics of fast folding, including how to play it, the pros and cons of this style of play, and everything else you need to know.

The Basics of Folding Fast

First things first, what does it mean to fold fast in poker? Fast folding typically refers to one of two situations in poker.

The first is, as the name implies, a player who is folding their hand quickly, i.e., early in the round. For instance, if you feel you have a weak hand and do not want to try and bluff, you can fold before the flop.

Folding without seeing the flop is risky, but it is also the best way to conserve your chips. It can help keep the tempo of the game up as well since fewer players will be in the game.

The other situation that fast folding poker refers to is games designed for players who want to maximize the number of hands they see. In fast-fold games, players who fold their hands are immediately moved to a new table. This style of play is popular with players at online casino sites.

Benefits of Folding Quickly

Folding fast is not the most exciting poker strategy. However, when done correctly, this style of play can offer several benefits for you as the player. These benefits are even more pronounced when playing Turbo or Zoom-style games online.

Improved Focus

Focusing on the game at hand is one of the keys to being a great poker player. In many cases,  fast folding can help improve players’ focus.

To intentionally use a fast folding strategy, you must make your decisions quickly. This means assessing your hand, the other bets at the table, and other early tells. Once you have this information, you can decide whether to fold or not.

Making this decision early in the hand reduces your chances of getting distracted. Also, it lowers your chances of becoming pot committed to a weak hand. 

Table Image

The way you play will also affect your image at the table, especially with in-person games. You should be studying the other players at the table as much as possible. In turn, the other players will also be studying you throughout the game.

Folding fast can be a sign of an experienced player. The best poker players know what hands to fold early to avoid wasting money on poor hands. Ergo, if you fold early on multiple hands, other players may start to suspect you are an experienced player.

Increased Decision-Making Efficiency

Judging the quality of your starting hand is one of the first steps for every poker player. Using a fast fold strategy in poker can lead to more efficient decision-making.

This method puts increased importance on judging your starting hand correctly. Focusing more on this early part of the round will allow you to make more accurate decisions. Efficient decision-making is key to succeeding in Zoom poker events.

Conserves Your Bankroll

Another significant advantage of fast fold poker systems is that they conserve your bankroll.

The easiest way to lose money in poker is to pursue weak hands. If you use a fast-fold strategy correctly, you can easily avoid this pitfall.

Simply put, weak hands have a low chance of winning, so playing them increases the possibility of losing money. By folding weak hands early in the round, you prevent yourself from wasting more money on a hand that is unlikely to win.

Disadvantages of Fast Fold Poker

Unfortunately, there are also downsides to playing this style of poker. Some of the drawbacks to using a fast fold poker strategy are:

• Challenging to read opponents: Folding quickly gives you fewer chances to read opponents. Also, if you are playing Turbo-style games, you are constantly moving to new tables with new players, so you will not have a chance to get a read on them.
• Increased stress: The increased pace of fast-fold games can also make them more stressful to play, especially for inexperienced players.
• Chance for high variance: The goal of fast-fold games is to increase the number of hands you get to play. However, this can have the negative effect of increasing your variance for that session as well.

Despite the drawbacks listed above, many players still enjoy fast-fold poker games. Also, with the right strategy, you can minimize many of the disadvantages in this style of poker.

When It’s Smart to Fold Fast

Folding fast has many advantages, but you cannot fold every hand right away or you will never win. Here are three situations when it is smart to fold fast.

Large Bets Pre-Flop

Betting pre-flop in poker can be risky. After all, the community cards can make or break even the best of starting hands.

Experienced players know how to sue modest raises early in the round to draw other players into the pot. However, inexperienced players often bet too aggressively when they see a strong starting hand.

So, if one of your opponents bets a large amount preflop, it is usually a good sign that they have a great starting hand. Most of the time, it is best to fold early in these situations unless you also have a very strong starting hand.

Multi-Way Pots

Another good time to fold early is when the game sets up for a multi-way pot. Remember, in poker, you need the best hand of anyone at the table to win. So, if more players are sticking in the pot that hand, your chances of having the best hand will be lower.

Players in an early position will be at a disadvantage. However, when the betting returns to their position, they should fold unless they have a strong hand. Likewise, if you are in a late position at the table, you should avoid a multiway pot unless you have a strong starting hand.

Bad Starting Hand

Multiway pots can be costly, but they are not common in most games. That is because there are usually players in every hand who fold before the flop.

So, why are these players folding so early? The most likely answer is that they probably have a weak starting hand. A few examples of bad starting hands in poker include:

• 7-2 off suit
• 3-9 off suit
• Ace-6 off-suit

The list goes on, but poor starting hands share a few key characteristics. First, they involve at least one, usually two, low-ranking cards. Also, your hand is weaker if your starting cards are off-suit.

Unconnected starting cards, such as the two and the seven, are also a bad sign. They are too far apart to be used to create a straight.

Learn more about judging your starting hand with our guide on preflop poker charts.

Common Misconceptions About Fast Folding

Fast folding in poker is a safe strategy, but it is not the most exciting strategy. As a result, there are many misconceptions about this method.

You Are a Weak Player

One myth about fast folding in poker is that it can make you look like a weak player. As mentioned above, successful players will often fold early if they are dealt a poor starting hand in poker.

Folding poor starting hands can be a sign of an experienced player. Playing poor hands will not make you look like a strong player, but it will cause you to lose a lot of money.

Fast Folders Give Away Tells

Another criticism of fast folding is that it can give away tells. However, there are a few major flaws in this myth.

The first is that other players already have limited opportunities to pick up on tells if you are playing online. Also, even if you are playing an in-person game, you do not need to be as worried about giving away tells. Since you are not playing in the hand, your opponents will likely be focused on the people still in the pot.

Lastly, folding fast can help you pick up on your opponent’s tells. You can use your time after folding to study your opponents more closely.

Where to Practice Fast Fold Poker Strategies

Now that you know what it means to fold fast in poker, you should be ready to try this method for yourself. Sites like Bovada are the best place to practice fast-fold poker systems.

Bovada has a great selection of poker tournaments, including Turbo Tournaments that are designed with fast-folders in mind.

The site also offers an excellent 100% deposit match poker bonus that is worth up to $500 in additional funds. Create your Bovada account today to put your fast folding poker skills to the test.