Big Names Showing Up For PokerStars Duel

(Photo: Pokerstars.com)

PokerStars have latched onto the growing popularity of Heads Up poker by launching an innovative and brand new format of Heads up poker, called “Duel Poker”. Very soon we will be able to “Duel” against players in a real money or play money setting, with ‘Duel Poker’ combining the skill of heads up play with the fun of a sporting contest you can play at a time that suits you. I have a feeling this format is going to be very popular indeed. Remember when I said sometimes a format is released that I wish I’d thought of myself? Well this is another one!

A game of Duel takes place over a fixed number of hands per match. All heads up hands are dealt at once and players make their decisions about each hand with the decisions played out simultaneously. Once the hands are complete, the players with the most chips wins the match. It’s as simple as that!

The games will be available exclusively on iPhone and Android mobile devices and it is clear that PokerStars are targeting the smartphone generation and rather than trying to get them to put their phones down to play on their site, they are offering something they can play on their phone! Their logic is simple but likely to be effective.

Duel is currently only available in Norway as a beta test but it is hoped a full rollout will take place in the coming months. The chances of sitting at a table with Cristiano Ronaldo or the other Team Pokerstars Pros is quite small, but the new game offers you the opportunity to try and beat their score. Players will also be able to challenge their friends by sharing a link via text and social media. It all sounds very different and very exciting. Players will be able to play in their own time with match time limits and other options predetermined before play begins. I like the sports-like feel to Duel which I think will appeal to the new generation of players, like eSports enthusiasts, PokerStars hope to entice to their site.

(Photo: Pokerstars.com)

It was only recently that real money heads up cash games was removed from PokerStars which was a big disappointment to many professional players who made good money playing heads up cash games. This innovation marks a significant step in a direction other than pure poker, more towards combining gaming and recreational play. This may well be the direction online poker will move towards from now on and we have seen more focus towards recreational players across many online poker rooms. The pros might not like it, but if games like Duel poker prove very popular there will be money to be made in these games too.