PokerStars Tempest Hold'em is a unique poker format, based on Texas Hold’em, with antes that increase until a showdown is reached, an extra pre-flop blind, and just two options for all players: all-in or fold!

Available exclusively at PokerStars, PokerStars Tempest Hold’em is easy to pick up and packed with fast, fun action.

At the beginning of each hand, every player posts an ante. The value of antes for a given hand is based on previous hands dealt at the table:

• If the previous hand had a showdown, the ante is reset to its lowest value.
• If the previous hand did not have a showdown, the ante value increases (up to a maximum value, displayed in your game window).

In addition, the player sat to the left of the Big Blind posts a third blind called the Giant Blind, which is double the value of the Big Blind.

The hand then plays out according to Texas Hold’em rules, but with two significant differences:

• Players have only two options, pre-flop: to go all-in, or to fold.
• Every pot is ‘capped’, meaning that no player can wager (or lose) more than 10 Giant Blinds in a single hand.

During heads-up, the player sat on the button will post a Big Blind and their opponent will post a Giant Blind.

Possible values of antes are fixed and displayed on the top right corner of the table. Maximum ante value is capped for each stake and cannot exceed the Big Blind.

To start playing PokerStars Tempest Hold’em, all you need to do is choose the game and stake you want to play, and the software will find a seat for you. If no seat is immediately available, you’ll be placed on a waiting list.

Please Note: There may be a minimum number of hands that you must play before you can sit out or leave without incurring a time penalty. Time penalties are cumulative and should rarely impact most players. They are in place to deter players from attempting seat selection by repeatedly joining and leaving a large number of tables.

We’ve got plenty more surprises in store for cash game players, so make sure you log-in regularly to see what’s new!

As well as Texas Hold’em, we also offer many other poker variants. See our Poker Games page to learn more.