Leading Curacao-licensed online poker room CakerPoker.com has announced that it is set to increase the minimum buy-in for its no-limit hold’em games from 20 big blinds to 30.

The change will take effect from April 8 with CakePoker.com stating that its new policy will help to minimise short-stack play in order to increase fun and competitiveness on the site.

For players who enjoy playing short-stack games, CakePoker.com announced that it would continue to offer tables with low-stake games for 20 big blinds.

“We realise that the issue of ‘short-stacking’ is a contentious one,” said Lee Jones, Card Room Manager for CakePoker.com.

“It’s completely within the rules of poker to play a short-stack as long as you buy in for at least the minimum amount. For that reason, we were hesitant to make any changes in our minimum buy-ins.

“However, taken to their extreme, short-stack strategies all but eliminate any post-flop play in no-limit hold’em. Furthermore, online poker allows players to double up their short-stack and then immediately leave their table and move to another one. This is something that would be impossible in ‘bricks and mortar’ poker. For that reason, we felt obliged to make a change that would ensure those who want to play larger stacks have an environment in which they can do that. We believe that moving to a 30 big-blinds minimum buy-in will accomplish this.

“We do, however, understand that many people prefer to play shorter stacks simply because it reduces their exposure to one very good second-best hand costing them a large amount of money. Also, many cash game novices prefer to play with shorter stacks while getting their feet wet in cash game play. It’s definitely a different environment than tournaments.

“Therefore, in our smaller games, we will offer ‘shallow’ tables, which will have a buy-in range of 20 to 50 big blinds. Those games will be a great training ground for the newbies and a place where the short-stack specialists can practice their craft. We will, of course, continue to offer 30 to 100 big blinds buy-in games at those stakes as well.”