Unfortunately these days FR ZOOM only fully runs up to 50NL. So as developing FR ZOOM poker players when we move up we're forced to either play a mix of 50NL and 100NL when it runs at peak hours, go the 6 max route or mass regular tables.

Based on my experiences four tabling ZOOM and brief attempt at 16-24 reg tabling, I've observed the following pro/cons for ZOOM, which basically are the opposite of the pros/cons for reg tabling.

ZOOM Pros:

• easy to start up/sit out
• adequate time to think through decisions carefully
• able to take breaks freely
• no need for multiple monitors/table stacking

ZOOM Cons:

• smaller edges
• annoyingly nitty
• no table selection
• can't match 24-tabling volume (for those hardcore grinders)

What are your experiences and opinions with regards to ZOOM vs reg tables? Please add to the list of pros/cons if you think I've missed anything.

Zoom Pros:

You dont have to go over your tables at least from time to time and get rid of the bad ones. Pretty sure that not even the best regs at a limit stay at tables where there are 2-3 20/17/7 kinda guys behind them.

Thi sounds like an arguement for playing fewer reg tables. If you can't think your decisions through then you're playing too many.

Zoom

- More fun
- You can develop more as a player compare to mass tabling.
- Less stressful.
- You can fire up 4 tables anywhere from your laptop (f.e in you coach, outside, bed etc) and play comfortable.
- Decent rakeback.
- No distractions like constantly changing tables or X amount of scripts.
- You can´t move up to mid stakes.(at least not atm)

Mass tabling reg tables.

- Extremely stressful over time.
- More robotic
- Impossible to play your a-game
- Next to impossible to develop into a crusher.
- You get a lot of rakeback, and you can still make decent money with a small winrate.

Multi tabling 8-12 tabels.

- Require more skills to make a good amount compare to mass tabling.
- Less stressful.
- Good way to develop as a player.
- Best way to crush.
- Able to play vs fish on every table by bum-hunting.
- Not a lot of rakeback.
- More site options like 888 and Partypoker where the player pool is 10x softer compare to Stars. (200nl FR on 888 is easier than 25nl on Stars)

^^^ Wait what?, is 888 that good?. How many tables of 100-200nl even run?. May have to look into this if you say so.

Yup, but the rake is high, rakeback extremely poor, and you can only play 6 tables max and im not sure if 200nl is running 24/7 for full ring. 100nl is, but mostly jackpot tables where the rake is even higher.

There is a reg there who blogs (can`t remember his name though), and he is a 50nl and 100nl regular who constantly post 8-9bb winrate months. What struck me the most is that he is not that good at all.

888

few weeks ago I deposited 30$ there and made 300 within 4 days ( running very well)
+
some of them check back top set on the river(dry board) and next hand call you with J high

at NL50 I saw people who limp/call almost every hand and fold 75% to cbet

-
just 6 tables
tables design and sounds are so f**** annoying
everybody can smash you with egg or potato when they don't like you
0 chance to improve

Tried 888 and gave up because of ****ty software, constant table and lobby lag, 4% rb and the 20bb shortstackers during the day + bad/no support. But yea, regs are bad and whales are worse than on stars.

Stars has way more potential for your growth as a player and plenty of fish alright.

Imo to the above, 6m is probably your best choice as you can play higher zoom games + Euro networks offer mostly 6m action.

I gave it up for fwiw aswell for similar reasons after a couple days. Just impossible to play your a-game with so many tilt inducers.

same here

Never get what has to go through your head to post this on a public forum, biting your nose to spite your face yo!

WTF was that post about ?

You are not supposed to post this cause 888 regs would be pretty pissed if all of a sudden many more winning regs join the site.

I doubt more winning regs will join that size after that post, esp after the posts i made under, but i guess he was trying to be a comedian.

Yeah unless 100NL revives to an extent I think that's the path I'll have to take. It's Friday evening and there's only 6 200NL FR tables running on Stars. There's more than 16 100NL FR tables but most are full. Which reminds me I forgot another ZOOM pro:

NO WAITLIST!

Bring US back.

@ Lordriverrat

What u mean with only 6 tables...do u mean reg tables cause I just checked and I counted almost 20 full running fullring reg tables (at NL 200 that is).

http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/96...-post-1123884/

My bad. What I meant was 6 400NL FR tables and 20 200NL FR tables.

Arse. Quoted the wrong bit of OP's thread. Should have been this point

Pros:
No waiting list.
No table selection.
Can play on a laptop.
No need for mass tabling software.
And there are a few more...

Cons:
I've seen people say that you have a bigger winrate on zoom than normal tables. Not true
More regs/fish( fish use 1 buy-in regs 4)
Not being able to form reads on fish.
To f***ing nityy.
And the top con... So many coolers!!

P.s i play zoom cause i use a laptop but i'm certain that mass tabling is more productive.

I can see why not having to table select is a pro but on the other hand the way I see it not being able to table select and pick who you're up against is a con. Definitely debatable.

how about vpps? if i four tabling 1h of zoom and i get like let say 100vpp how many regular tables it takes to get the same number of vpps in 1h?

I made some research on ZOOM FR / ZOOM SH / regular tables, all the database this year, here is my point:
1, Top 10% losers in ZOOM SH average VPIP/PFR is 23/18, week reg.
2, Top 10% losers in ZOOM FR average VPIP/PFR is 25/12, fish.
3, In ZOOM SH, >50k+hands, a 3bb+ winner this month might become a -2bb loser next month.
4, In ZOOM FR, a winner is a winner, as always.
3, Regular tables losers VPIP 40+, SH&FR.

My choice, play ZOOM FR or play reglular 6max.