Is Bet & Go a game changer?
The new sports betting and poker hybrid from GGPoker could change the way recreational players view our game.
Say what you want about GGPoker and Natural8 but they are the market leader for a reason. They regularly innovate with new and exciting formats, like the recently introduced Bet & Go.
In time for the World Cup, these are tournaments linked to a sporting event. When you buy in you pick a team you think will win, then get an early bird discount on the buy-in based on their odds of winning.
For example in the $10 Bet & Go tournament for Morocco vs Croatia, before the game you could buy-in supporting Morocco for $3.25 or for Croatia for $5.75. The discounts changed during the match to reflect the score. If you buy-in after the match it is $10.
Here is the kicker though. If your team loses, you are eliminated from the tournament. You could be the chipleader but if your team loses you are out. You could be a short stack but become the chipleader because you bet on an underdog. After the match you can re-enter for the full buy-in.
Lose half the field instantly
This is frankly a genius idea for a tournament. Recreational players like to watch sport alongside poker and this is the best idea I have seen to combine the two. You are essentially betting on the outcome of the match alongside the poker. In poker circles most of us play so many tables that poker the only thing we can concentrate on, but recreational players like to play a game while watching TV.
The fact that a huge portion of the field can be eliminated instantly is what really makes it exciting. In a close football match that makes both the game and the poker nail biting. It also adds a fun strategic element. If your team is losing you may as well punt and play like a maniac, if your team is ahead you should likely play more cautiously. If your team is winning by a lot then there will be a lot of soft action as the other team's players will be going all-in with anything.
I personally would do away with the option to re-enter after the match. I think it is way more exciting to have a tournament potentially end abruptly if there was a big upset. If you were one of the few players who bought in for Saudi Arabia in their match against Argentina, you probably would have suddenly been in the money and at the final table from nowhere.
Is late regging still profitable?
I do like the discounted buy-in, however, for early registration. This is a good way to mitigate the significant advantage serious players get from max late regging the tournament.
I could imagine that there are spots where it would still be profitable to late reg after the game is over. Notably if a big underdog wins and as such most of the field is eliminated from the tournament. Then you have the potential to late reg really close to the money. Even more profitable if there is an overlay.
The first Bet & Go tournament drew an impressive 17,561 entrants and I think this format might be here to stay. Not for every game but for every major sporting event like the Premier League televised games, Champions League, boxing, UFC, tennis and more. Poker has not done a brilliant job of accommodating sports bettors despite most poker rooms being linked to a sportsbook. Bet & Go could be a whole new way to watch the game while playing poker.
Have you played Bet & Go? Let us know in the comments:
