The Complete Guide to PokerStars Spin and Go Poker (2024)
The excitement around Spin and Go tournaments has never died down since making their debut at PokerStars in 2014. Spin & Go games attract recreational and professional poker players in equal measure thanks to the jackpot element, making it possible for players to turn a relatively small buy-in into a payout worth up to $1 million, thanks to the prize pool multiplier, and do so in a matter of minutes.
What is Spin and Go Poker?
Spin and Go tournaments are a sit-and-go variant with no set start time, with each game starting as soon as enough players have bought in. A typical Spin & Go at PokerStars has three players, although the Spin & Go Max Hold'em has up to eight; more on that twist soon!
The so-called "jackpot sit and go" format first appeared online at Winamax in July 2013 under the name Expresso. Their popularity resulted in other online poker sites and networks creating versions of these lottery tournaments. The iPoker Network launched Twister, the now-defunct Full Tilt released Jackpot, 888poker created BLAST, and PartyPoker got in on the act with SPINS.
Randomly Drawn Prize Pools
You may wonder why these famous poker tournaments are often called lottery or jackpot sit & gos. That becomes apparent as soon as the games start. Rather than have a prize pool that the buy-in determines, the pot is randomly determined by the prize pool multiplier before dealing with the first cards. Most of the time, between 80-90% of the Spin & Go tournament you play, the prize pool will be either 2x or 3x your buy-in. However, if Lady Luck is shining down on you, you could find yourself playing in a game with a prize pool multiplier worth up to 240,000, meaning it is possible to win $1 million from some of the games!
This randomness adds excitement to Spin & Go games because the potential payouts are massive, and playing in a tournament with one of the larger prize pools and multipliers feels like you are enjoying a significant overlay.
Standard Hold'em and Omaha Spin & Go tournaments at PokerStars see you sit down with only 500 chips as a starting stack. The blinds start at 10/20, which means you only have 25 big blinds from the word go. The blinds shoot up rapidly, too. Check out the table below to see just how fast.
| Prize pool multiplier | Blinds (minutes) |
|---|---|
| 2x | 2 |
| 3-5x | 3 |
| 10-25x | 4 |
| 120x and above | 5 |
Flash Tournaments Are An Even More Exciting Poker Format
The action is even crazier in Spin & Go Flash Hold'em tournaments because you start your quest for glory with only 300 chips, and the blinds increase every minute! It is easy to see why this thrilling poker format has a flash lightning symbol in its name!
Spin & Go tournaments mostly play as a winner-takes-all format, which means only the champion is paid. However, if the tournament prize pool multiplier lands on 10x your buy-in, the winner and runner-up receive a payday. Games where the prize pool multiplier is 25x and above see all three entrants win a slice of the pie, although the first-place finisher reels in the lion's share of the pot.
How to Play Spin and Go Tournaments
Registering for a Spin & Go tournament is as simple s getting involved in any other PokerStars sit & go or multi-table tournament; you'll be spinning and going within a few mouse clicks!
- Load up PokerStars and click on the Spin & Go tab
- Decide whether you want to play Hold'em, Spin & Go Flash, Max Hold'em, or Omaha
- Click the buy-in that you want to play
- Choose how many Spin & Go you want to play at the same time (between one and five simultaneous tournaments)
- Click Play Now and wait for your Spin & Go to fill up with players
Spin & Go Flash Hold'em, and Omaha Spin & Go tournaments get underway as soon as three players are registered. Max Hold'em Spin & Go are slightly different in that they follow the same format, but the number of entrants, between three and eight, is randomly determined before the tournament starts. Also, Max Hold'em games have a predetermined number of hands you play before the game forces every player all in until the winner is crowned!
Wide Range of Buy-ins Means There is a Tournament For Everyone
Buy-in for $0.25, $1, $2, $5, $10, $25, $50, $100, $250, $500, and $1,000, plus, on occasion, PokerStars runs special edition Spin & Go games that pay tournament tickets instead of cash. These usually appear in the run up to the Sunday Million or during major festivals such as the Spring Championship Of Online Poker (SCOOP) or the World Championship Of Online Poker (WCOOP).
Before your game starts and the cards are in the air, the PokerStars software displays a slot machine-like spinner that eventually settles on the prize pool you are playing for. This is known as the prize pool multiplier. No sooner has the random draw of the prize pool been determined; you and your opponents receive your hole cards, and you spin and then go!
How Much Can You Win; What is the Biggest Prize Pool Multiplier?
The random prize pool multiplier sometimes means that the 1st place finishers in the Spin and Go win the lottery. Hitting the top prize pool multiplier of 12,000x at the lowest $0.25 stakes creates a $3,000 prize pool where second and third place collect $250, and the champion wins $2,500, which is quite incredible for a quarter.
The $5 buy-in Spin & Go games have a 240,000x highest multiplier, resulting in a $1.2 million prize pool! Win this, and you instantly become a millionaire while both your opponents pad their poker bankroll with cash prizes of $100,000 each.
As you can see in the below prizes structure, you will play for either 2x or 3x your buy-in prize pool most of the time. The prize pool multiplier will be 5x or above in less than 10% of the games you play, but the biggest multipliers do land, so there's always a chance. Be aware that deal making is not possible in this format.
Buy-in: $0.25
Rake: 8%
| Prize Pool Multiplier | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Probability in 1M Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12,000 | $2,500 | $250 | $250 | 1 |
| 240 | $50 | $5 | $5 | 30 |
| 120 | $25 | $2.50 | $2.50 | 75 |
| 25 | $5 | $0.75 | $0.50 | 1,000 |
| 10 | $2 | $0.50 | 5,000 | |
| 5 | $1.25 | 85,000 | ||
| 3 | $0.75 | 414,012 | ||
| 2 | $0.50 | 494,882 |
Buy-in: $1
Rake: 8%
| Prize Pool Multiplier | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Probability in 1M Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12,000 | $10,000 | $1,000 | $1,000 | 1 |
| 240 | $200 | $20 | $20 | 30 |
| 120 | $100 | $10 | $10 | 75 |
| 25 | $20 | $3 | $2 | 1,000 |
| 10 | $8 | $2 | 5,000 | |
| 5 | $5 | 85,000 | ||
| 3 | $3 | 414,012 | ||
| 2 | $2 | 494,882 |
Buy-in: $2
Rake: 8%
| Prize Pool Multiplier | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Probability in 1M Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12,000 | $20,00 | $2,000 | $2,000 | 1 |
| 240 | $400 | $40 | $40 | 30 |
| 120 | $200 | $20 | $20 | 75 |
| 25 | $40 | $6 | $4 | 1,000 |
| 10 | $16 | $4 | 5,000 | |
| 5 | $10 | 85,000 | ||
| 3 | $6 | 414,012 | ||
| 2 | $4 | 494,882 |
Short Stack Strategy: 5 Tips to Survive as a Short Stack
Buy-in: $5
Rake: 8%
| Prize Pool Multiplier | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Probability in 10M Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 240,000 | $1,000,000 | $100,000 | $100,000 | 1 |
| 240 | $1,000 | $100 | $100 | 300 |
| 120 | $500 | $50 | $50 | 750 |
| 25 | $100 | $15 | $10 | 10,000 |
| 10 | $40 | $10 | 50,000 | |
| 5 | $25 | 850,000 | ||
| 3 | $15 | 4,020,102 | ||
| 2 | $10 | 5,068,847 |
Buy-in: $10
Rake: 7%
| Prize Pool Multiplier | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Probability in 1M Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12,000 | $100,000 | $10,000 | $10,000 | 1 |
| 240 | $2,000 | $200 | $200 | 30 |
| 120 | $1,000 | $100 | $100 | 75 |
| 25 | $200 | $30 | $20 | 1,000 |
| 10 | $80 | $20 | 5,000 | |
| 5 | $50 | 85,000 | ||
| 3 | $30 | 444,012 | ||
| 2 | $20 | 464,882 |
Buy-in: $25
Rake: 6%
| Prize Pool Multiplier | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Probability in 1M Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12,000 | $250,000 | $25,000 | $25,000 | 1 |
| 240 | $5,000 | $500 | $500 | 30 |
| 120 | $2,500 | $250 | $250 | 75 |
| 25 | $500 | $75 | $50 | 1,000 |
| 10 | $200 | $50 | 5,000 | |
| 5 | $125 | 85,000 | ||
| 3 | $75 | 474,012 | ||
| 2 | $50 | 434,882 |
Buy-in: $50
Rake: 6%
| Prize Pool Multiplier | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Probability in 1M Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12,000 | $500,000 | $50,000 | $50,000 | 1 |
| 240 | $10,000 | $1,000 | $1,00 | 30 |
| 120 | $5,000 | $500 | $500 | 75 |
| 25 | $1,000 | $150 | $100 | 1,000 |
| 10 | $400 | $100 | 5,000 | |
| 5 | $250 | 85,000 | ||
| 3 | $150 | 474,012 | ||
| 2 | $100 | 434,882 |
7 Tips to Take Your Poker Game From "Meh" to Amazing
Buy-in: $100
Rake: 5%
| Prize Pool Multiplier | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Probability in 1M Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12,000 | $1,000,000 | $100,000 | $100,000 | 1 |
| 240 | $20,000 | $2,000 | $2,000 | 30 |
| 120 | $10,000 | $1,000 | $1,000 | 75 |
| 25 | $2,000 | $300 | $200 | 1,000 |
| 10 | $800 | $200 | 5,000 | |
| 5 | $500 | 85,000 | ||
| 3 | $300 | 504,012 | ||
| 2 | $200 | 404,882 |
Buy-in: $250
Rake: 5%
| Prize Pool Multiplier | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Probability in 1M Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4,800 | $1,000,000 | $100,000 | $100,000 | 1 |
| 240 | $50,000 | $5,000 | $5,000 | 30 |
| 120 | $25,000 | $2,500 | $2,500 | 75 |
| 25 | $5,000 | $750 | $500 | 1,000 |
| 10 | $2,000 | $500 | 5,000 | |
| 5 | $1,250 | 85,000 | ||
| 3 | $750 | 511,212 | ||
| 2 | $500 | 397,682 |
Buy-in: $500
Rake: 5%
| Prize Pool Multiplier | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Probability in 1M Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2,400 | $1,000,000 | $100,000 | $100,000 | 1 |
| 240 | $100,000 | $10,000 | $10,000 | 30 |
| 120 | $50,000 | $5,000 | $5,000 | 75 |
| 25 | $10,000 | $1,500 | $1,000 | 1,000 |
| 10 | $4,000 | $1,000 | 5,000 | |
| 5 | $2,500 | 85,000 | ||
| 3 | $1,500 | 511,212 | ||
| 2 | $1,000 | 397,682 |
Buy-in: $1,000
Rake: 5%
| Prize Pool Multiplier | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | Probability in 1M Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4,800 | $1,000,000 | $100,000 | $100,000 | 1 |
| 240 | $200,000 | $20,000 | $20,000 | 30 |
| 120 | $100,000 | $10,000 | $10,000 | 75 |
| 25 | $20,000 | $3,000 | $2,000 | 1,000 |
| 10 | $8,000 | $2,000 | 5,000 | |
| 5 | $5,000 | 85,000 | ||
| 3 | $3,000 | 514,812 | ||
| 2 | $2,000 | 394,082 |
10 Tips for Sit & Go Success: How To Play Heads-Up
Are Spin and Go's Profitable?
There was much talk on social media and poker forums when PokerStars launched Spin & Go tournaments in 2014, and most of the chatter suggested there were essentially unbeatable. The winner-takes-all format – for most of the games you play – combined with thehyper-turbo structure and the rake meant grinders did not expect to win consistently at Spin & Go.
However, once players began logging plenty of volume and devised strategies, they soon realized Spin & Go tournaments could be very profitable at PokerStars, even if you endure a long spell of not playing for the most significant payouts, which is likely. It's, therefore, imperative that you play responsibly at all times.
Low-Stakes is Where You Should Start
This format attracts recreational players in droves, particularly at the lower end of the buy-in ladder. Many of these players are playing spin tournaments for the first time, or are using tickets from the free play welcome offer using the "SPINANDGO" bonus code. These players are happy to commit their stacks with less-than-stellar holdings in the hope of doubling up or busting and firing up the next Spin & Go. Higher buy-in games are tough because professional players frequent them, with regulars displaying solid knowledge of ICM and GTO.
Sure, the shallow stacks and hyper-turbo blinds leave little room to outplay these weak players, but you can still enjoy a significant edge over lower-stakes players if you put in enough study away from the tables and practice at them.
Of course, hitting one of the massive payouts will make Spin and Go very lucrative and profitable, but it is best to treat these as a bonus rather than relying on them to make you profitable in the other games.
In addition, because a rake is charged in Spin & Go games, you progress through the Stars Rewards scheme, meaning you are earning the equivalent of rakeback all the time. Play enough games, and you could take home four-figure sums of loyalty payments each month, which takes some pressure off your bankroll if you hit a dry spell.
Register on the PokerStars website and use these poker tips and strategies to win your first Spin and Go games!
Play NowSpin and Go Strategy: Tips to Win More
Winning Spin and Go players are well versed in short-handed, short-stacked, and heads-up play because these are the three main elements of this format. Studying these aspects of poker tournaments and improving your skills in each is worthwhile.
It is important to try and accumulate chips as soon as possible not only because of the rapidly increasing blinds, which will result in you becoming short-stacked sooner than you would like, but also because you could find yourself with little to no fold equity if your stack dwindles. Without the ability to force opponents to fold, you will find prizes out of your reach.
Aggressive, Positional Poker is the Way Forward
The power of position is very real in this format, so be willing to show aggression when first in from the button or the small blind. You will find the better players either min-raise or make raises of 2.1-2.3x the big blind, so they put fewer chips at risk in case they are three-bet all-in, but it is still an amount that can win the pot preflop.
Eventually, unless you accumulate a big stack (in relation to the ever-increasing blinds), you will find yourself in the push-or-fold territory where the only moves available to you are to fold or commit your entire shallow stack. One-hundred percent you need to study push-fold strategy because the knowledge will be the difference between showing a profit and being a losing player.
Learning Push-Fold Ranges is a Must
Team PokerStars' Nick Walsh suggests studying push-fold ranges for the latter stages and always be on the front foot where possible.
"Just sit down and do your homework about ranges. Have some guidelines on the kinds of ways you should be playing. It's little things like adjusting your preflop raise sizes and ranges. Adjusting how wide you're playing from all of the positions is huge. You want to be playing loads of buttons heads-up and defending your blinds extremely wide but in a controlled manner."
Spin and Go FAQ
What is spin-and-go poker?
Spin and Go tournaments are a sit-and-go variant with no set start time, with each game starting as soon as enough players have bought in. A typical Spin & Go at PokerStars has three players.
Are there any free play Spin and Go's?
Entries for these tournaments start at an affordable $0.25. However, PokerStars often runs time-limited welcome bonuses that award tickets that can be used to enter games for free.
Is spin and go worth it?
If you like playing online poker but don't have much free time, spin-and-go poker is worth playing because games take minutes to complete.
How do you play spin and go?
Load up PokerStars and click on the Spin & Go tab. Decide whether you want to play Hold'em, Flash Hold'em, Max Hold'em, or Omaha. Then click the buy-in that you want to play.
What is the difference between spin and go and spin and go flash?
In Spin and Go Flash games, the difference is that players start with 300 chips, and the blinds rise every minute.
What is a spin-and-go on PokerStars?
Spin and Gos are fast-paced sit-and-go tournaments available to casual players and poker fans at PokerStars. These online poker tournaments feature a hyper-turbo blinds structure, 500-chip starting stacks, and a randomized prize pool that can reach up to 240,000x the buy-in.
Are spin and go's profitable?
As many recreational players choose spin and go as their game of choice, they can be profitable when playing optimal strategies. However, you should not depend on spin and go's as a source of regular income.
What is the difference between sit-and-go and spin-and-go?
Sit-and-go poker games are a single table or small MTT that starts on demand. A spin and go is the same but usually with fewer players and a randomised prize.
What happened to sit-and-go on PokerStars?
Sit-and-go poker games are still available to play on PokerStars and can be found under the sit-and-go tab.
What is the best strategy for a spin-and-go?
Winning Spin and Go players are well versed in short-handed, short-stacked, and heads-up play because these are the three main elements of this format. Studying these aspects of poker tournaments and improving your skills in each is worthwhile.
What is a good ROI for spin-and-go's?
For a typical winning player, an ROI of 1% to 3% would be considered good.
