Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger: Why You Should Start Playing Zoom Right Now

Why Poker Players’ Attention Spans Are Shrinking

Recent studies on human attention span — our ability to focus on specific information — show that it has declined significantly over the past two decades.

According to Samba Recovery’s review, Average Human Attention Span Statistics & Facts [2024] (published March 4th, 2025), the data reveals a striking shift in how long people can stay focused, particularly in the U.S., compared to the time of the poker boom:

• The average attention span among people aged 7 to 85 dropped from 12 seconds in 2000 to 8 seconds in 2013, and only rose slightly to 8.25 seconds by 2024. For context, a goldfish clocks in at 9 seconds.
• Focused screen attention spans also declined — from 150 seconds in 2004 to just 47 seconds in 2023.
• The development and widespread availability of the internet and social media are key contributors to this decline.
• Women tend to manage distractibility and impulsive reactions better than men in noisy environments.
• The cultural trend toward multitasking has led to higher stress, greater fatigue, and lower productivity.

In short, we’re entering 2025 with less patience, more distractions, and a harder time sticking with tasks — especially ones that aren’t immediately entertaining.

Some poker players have already sounded the alarm about what this means for the game. In a March 18th, 2025 article, Phil Galfond noted that more players are growing restless when the action slows down. Ben Rolle has been vocal for years about how TikTok and similar platforms have eroded players’ ability to concentrate during long sessions.

Sadly, this is the reality now. Players aren’t going to just stop using the internet. And while multitasking — including heavy multitabling — comes with clear downsides, fast-paced formats like Zoom might offer a healthier alternative.

How Zoom Poker Helps with Short Attention Spans

So what exactly makes online fast-fold cash games like Zoom different from regular cash games? In short: speed.

Players can fold preflop instantly and move on to the next hand without waiting for the rest of the table. Everyone playing at the same stakes rotates between pools of players, meaning there’s no downtime — and no need to play a dozen tables just to stay engaged.

This format also allows for a much higher volume of hands. For example, playing four 6-max regular cash tables might get you around 300 hands per hour. But playing four Zoom tables? That can easily push you up to 1,000 hands per hour.

Poker Rooms Offering Fast-Fold Cash Games in 2025

• PokerStars – Zoom tables from NL/PL2 to NL1K and PL500 (available in USD and EUR depending on the skin).
• WPT Global – Pace tables from NL5 to NL400 (USD).
• RedStar Poker – Speed Poker tables from NL5 to NL100 (EUR).
• GGPoker – Rush & Cash tables from NL/PL2 to NL/PL200 (USD).
• 888poker – SNAP tables from NL2 to NL1K (USD).

Note: As of March–April 2025, many poker rooms offer their own version of fast-paced cash games, but only PokerStars currently runs Zoom tournaments.

TheVeniVidi1993’s Tips & Insights for Zoom Players

On March 18th, 2025, high-stakes poker pro Dirk Gerrits — who completed a $1M bankroll challenge in 2024 — shared his advice for fast-fold cash games on his YouTube channel, thevenividi1993. Drawing from his experience at Zoom NL200, he offered the following tips:

The first three focus on common player pool tendencies — and how to exploit them:

• If you notice a lack of aggression in certain spots, consider overfolding until proven otherwise.
• If you see weak checking ranges, attack them — play more aggressively when your opponent’s range is capped.
• If preflop play is slightly too tight, widen your opening range and dial back your 3-bets just a little.

Dirk also emphasized how important position becomes in Zoom — especially in deeper-stacked games. Two surprising lessons he learned while playing:

• When betting in position, focus on polarized hands — either very strong or very weak.
• Sometimes, calling in position is a far better option than pushing your chips in just to end the hand.

And to top it off, Dirk gave a quick strategy breakdown on river bluff sizing in Zoom:

“If we’re pot-betting the river, our opponent has to be right one out of three times. That means we need two value hands for every one bluff.

If we bet one-third pot, he only needs to be right one out of five times. Bluffing small seems attractive because it’s cheap — but if you’re up against strong players, they’ll catch on and start calling wide.

That’s why I like using pot-sized bets for river bluffs — it lets you bluff 1/3 of the time and keeps your range balanced.”

You can find more quick tips in the article How to Beat Zoom Poker on PokerStars | 5-Minute Zoom Crash Course.