Free iOS apps aren’t usually the place for innovation in poker but newly-released Tag Team Poker offers something that’s never been seen in even the most-advanced poker software.
Tag Team Poker, as you might expect, is all about Team Poker but with one big difference: you can actually see your opponent’s hole cards and strategize together in real time.
Yes that’s right: Collusion is actively encouraged in Tag Team Poker.
How Does it Work?
You’ll can either select a friend as a teammate or be randomly assigned one. From there you’ll be seated at a table where you’ll face off against other duos.
The game is standard No-Limit Hold’em but you can see your opponent’s hand and you share a bankroll at the table.
It differs from the standard tag team events that are usually played live because you each have a hand instead of sharing one.
In terms of strategy it’s somewhat similar to Pot-Limit Omaha (you’re dealing with four cards essentially) but not exactly (you’re in trouble if you have split aces etc).
There are some unique strategies in Tag Team Poker that you wouldn’t find anywhere else such as staying in a hand just to block your opponent’s outs while your tag team partner attempts to win the pot with a made hand.
If you feel you have a tell on an opponent you can encourage your opponent to fold.
It’s really cool.
Could Tag Team Work in Real Money Games?
While the Tag Team Poker game itself is a little rudimentary and probably won’t interest serious grinders the concept is absolutely fascinating and it’s a wonder why heavyweights like PokerStars or 888poker haven’t invested in a similar idea by this point.
With concepts like Fast Fold Poker, Jackpot-style Sit & Go’s and others gaining popularity it’s strange that no online poker company has taken a shot at tag team poker.
Tag Team Poker also has the unique benefit of building some camaraderie between players and it definitely has incredible value as a teaching tool for getting new players into the game, which is extremely valuable these days.
Part of the difficulty in learning poker is just the intimidation of sitting at a table alone. Imagine if you could sit next to your friend in a live cash game and actually see their hole cards and give them pointers.
It would go a long ways to making them feel comfortable enough to try going solo.
Tag Team Poker also seems tailor made for online games as it wouldn’t work very well in the live game because of the logistics involved with seeing each others hands and communicating strategy between players.
On the downside your win-rate would likely be lower than playing solo because you have to share all your winnings with your partner but it would still be a good way to learn the game or play for fun.
You can download Tag Team Poker for free on the App Store. It’s very simple but you’ll get an idea of the concept. We’ve also attached a video preview of the game below:
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