Spin and Gold is Natural8’s take on the Jackpot Sit and Go format. Adopting a short-handed hyper turbo structure, it’s fast and furious, with plenty of action. The star attraction is perhaps the lottery-style jackpot, the largest of which is worth a gigantic $2,000,000. But there are lots of unique features to discover, none more so than the Spin Insurance option.
Ready to learn all about the latest Sit and Go poker craze? Then let’s begin!
What is Spin & Gold?
Spin and Gold debuted on 28th February 2020. It follows the footsteps of other jackpot-style Sit and Gos released by top online poker sites. Examples include 888’s BLAST Poker, SPINS by Party Poker and Spin & Go from PokerStars.
The jackpot concept is similar to that of a standard SNG, except the prize pool is not fixed. Instead, once all players have bought in, a Wheel of Fortune style mini-game takes place. Each segment of the wheel features a different amount, determined by combining the buy-in with a multiplier value. Whichever number is chosen represents the upcoming game’s prize fund.
What makes Spin and Gold different from the rest is a unique insurance feature, protecting against spinning the lowest value. We’ll discuss this in detail later on in this guide.
What is Sit and Go Poker?
If you’re not sure what Sit and Go poker tournaments are, we’d better start from the very beginning. Unlike cash games, you pay a one-off fee to enter a poker tournament. The money is collected into a prize pool and whoever is the last player standing wins the lion’s share.
The Multi-Table Tournament (MTT) format is where the big bucks are made, but all good poker sites offer single-table options too. Rather than starting at a fixed time, you can play Sit and Go tournaments as soon as each seat has been filled.
Normally, the prize pool consists of all tournament buy-ins minus the rake. But lottery-style jackpot SNGs like Spin and Gold add an injection of excitement, by randomly determining your reward immediately before the event begins.
Spin and Gold Rules
Unlike other formats found at Natural8, Spin and Gold is always a No-Limit Hold’em game. A standard 52-card deck is used and the usual hand rankings and Hold’em-specific rules apply. The rake is set at 7% and this is automatically taken from your buy-in.
If more than one player is knocked out simultaneously, whoever had the larger number of chips entering the hand ranks higher. If these players started the hand with identical chip counts, the one closest to the left of the button would get the nod. It’s not permitted to make deals in Spin and Gold poker tournaments.
Buy-Ins, Players, and Rewards
The buy-in and number of players involved are entirely up to you, with multiple options to choose from. Naturally, the greater the buy-in, the larger the potential prize pool. The table below details all of the key information regarding the different Spin and Gold possibilities.
| Buy-In | No. of Players | Max. Prize Pool |
|---|---|---|
| $0.25 | 3 | $5,000 |
| $0.25 | 6 | $10,000 |
| $1 | 3 | $100,000 |
| $1 | 6 | $200,000 |
| $3 | 3 | $60,000 |
| $3 | 6 | $120,000 |
| $5 | 3 | $100,000 |
| $10 | 3 | $1,000,000 |
| $10 | 6 | $2,000,000 |
| $20 | 3 | $400,000 |
| $50 | 3 | $1,000,000 |
| $100 | 3 | $2,000,000 |
| $200 | 3 | $1,000,000 |
Don’t forget that the prize pool will be determined randomly each time. The values listed above are the maximum potential rewards, but smaller multipliers can be awarded.
H3: Multipliers
Each Spin & Gold game has its own set of random prize pool multipliers that could be chosen. For example, this is how a $0.25 3-max table looks:
| Multiplier | 1st Place | 2nd Place | 3rd Place |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2x | $0.50 | - | - |
| 3x | $0.75 | - | - |
| 5x | $1.25 | - | - |
| 10x | $2 | $0.50 | - |
| 25x | $5 | $1.25 | - |
| 50x | $7.50 | $3.75 | $1.25 |
| 100x | $15 | $7.50 | $2.50 |
| 20,000x | $2,500 | $1,500 | $1,000 |
In a regular 3-max $0.25 Sit and Go, the total prize pool (before rake) would stand at $0.75. However, the introduction of the random multipliers really spices things up. For instance, a 100x multiplier would increase the total prize fund to $25 (100 * $0.25 = $25).
The one to beware of though, is the smallest possible multiplier. In the above game, a 2x multiplier actually reduces the expected pot from $0.75 to $0.50. That’s not good at all! But luckily, this is where the Spin Insurance feature comes in handy, which we’ll explain later on. When playing six-handed, the smallest multiplier is 4x, and this has the same effect of producing a smaller prize fund.
As you can see, three-handed games are usually a “winner takes all” situation. But the biggest prize pools actually pay more places, with all players receiving a cut in some cases. This is also true of the 6-max Spin and Go games.
Blinds, Antes, and Chip Stacks
Spin and Gold games employ a hyper-turbo structure. This means that all players start with short stacks of just 300 chips and the blinds increase extremely quickly – every two minutes, in fact. There are 26 blind levels in total, beginning at 10 / 20, rising to 1,500 / 3,000 if required.
No antes are used in Spin and Gold, and each player has a 10-second time bank to call upon.
Spin & Gold Features
There are several interesting features that set Spin & Gold single-table tournaments apart from other poker games. Let’s now dig a little deeper into what they are.
Spin Insurance
We’ve mentioned it a couple of times already, so it’s about time we discussed the most unique element of Spin and Gold. When selecting your buy-in level, you have the option to either play with or without Spin Insurance. What does that mean? Allow us to explain!
It’s possible to spin a 2x multiplier in 3-max games, or a 4x multiplier in 6-max. That means there’s a chance you’ll end up playing in negative EV Spin and Gold games from time to time. However, by paying an extra buy-in, you can take insurance against that outcome.
If the lowest possible multiplier appears on the wheel and you take the insurance, you’ll get your entire buy-in back. That’s the tournament entry fee, including rake, as well as the cost of the insurance bet. In such cases, you’ll find yourself in a freeroll situation!
ELO Rating
It’s now possible to see who’s the best Spin and Gold player on the entire network. That’s thanks to the introduction of an ELO system, as seen in other competitive games such as chess.
All Spin and Gold players are ranked based on ability and results, as opposed to the sizes of their bankrolls. Those who consistently finish in better positions will see their ELO rating climb higher, regardless of the stakes played or pot sizes.
There are seven possible rankings to achieve as you accumulate points. Here they are, from highest to lowest:
Grand Master
Master
A
B
C
D
E
To discover where you sit in relation to others, click the Spin & Gold tab and choose “ELO Rating” from the left-hand menu. The top three performers will be displayed in the centre of the screen, followed by a list of the next best players. Your own ranking is displayed on the right-hand side.
Next-Hand Roulette
When seated at a Spin and Gold table, you’ll notice a button in the bottom-left corner called the Next Hand Roulette. This is a fun side bet that helps to create even more action! As the name implies, it’s loosely based on casino roulette. But rather than using a number wheel, you try to predict the cards in your next starting hand.
If you’ve ever played All-in or Fold, you’ll likely recognise this side bet, as it’s also present at those tables. But if it’s new to you, this is how it works. The minimum and maximum stakes are equal to 1BB and 100BBs. It’s possible to cover as many of the grid’s squares as you like and the potential returns depend on the chosen bets:
| Bet Type | Description | Payout |
|---|---|---|
| Straight Up | Choose a named card, such as the Queen of Hearts. | 25x |
| Pair | Hand must be a pocket pair in order to win. | 16.50x |
| Split | Two specific cards in a single wager. | 12.50x |
| Single Number | Pick any number, but the suit doesn’t matter. | 6.25x |
| Corner | Covers four specific numbers at once. | 6.25x |
| Suited | Will both cards have the same suit? | 4.10x |
| 2 Red / 2 Black | Both of the chosen cards must be the same colour. | 3.95x |
| 2 Numbers | Select two numbers (any suit) with a single wager. | 3.15x |
| Suit | Hand contains at least one card of the chosen suit. | 1.95x |
Spin and Gold Daily Leaderboard
Natural8 is crammed full of rewarding bonuses, cashback deals, and other special offers. Something they’re especially renowned for is the leaderboard system, which rewards loyal players across the entire GGPoker Spin and Gold network.
The exact prizes up for grabs vary depending upon the specific promotion. Throughout February 2023 for example, $20,000 worth of Spin and Gold buy-ins have been awarded to leading players every single day!
The more gold you successfully mine, the higher up the Spin & Gold Leaderboard you’ll progress and the greater your chance of securing a prize.
Happy Hour
Keep your eyes peeled for the Spin and Gold “Happy Hour” promotions too, as you can secure extra leaderboard contributions. Despite the name, it’s actually a two-hour-long window, where you’ll earn 1.5x the regular number of points.
Gold Challenge
If you’re settling in for a long session, you might want to consider the Spin & Gold Challenge. Here you can win cashback by mining gold, or in other words, playing Spin & Gold games.
The amount of cashback that’s up for grabs is entirely up to you. Choose a time period that you think is attainable, from anywhere between one and eight hours, then select the challenge number. The tougher the challenge, the more gold you’ll need to mine, but the greater your potential cashback reward will be.
| Challenge | Cashback Awarded |
|---|---|
| #1 | 25% |
| #2 | 35% |
| #3 | 45% |
| #4 | 55% |
| #5 | 65% |
| #6 | 80% |
To start mining, just play as many Spin & Gold tables as you can in your chosen time period. You can play either 6-max or three-handed, and there’s a minimal amount of gold awarded even if you finish last. But the higher you place, the more gold you’ll add to your tally.
Tips and Strategies for Spin & Gold
All that remains to discuss in our guide to Spin and Gold tournaments is the idea of strategy. So in the next section, we’ll cover exactly that, revealing some key tips and tricks to help you enjoy success.
Stay Quiet Early
With so few chips and such a sharp blind increase every two minutes, you can’t afford to be too passive. However, many Spin and Gold players go too far the other way. They will literally shove any two-suited cards and pretty much any Ace or King.
First off, just let the maniacs go at it unless you find a premium hand. But this tip is more about gaining respect later in the game. That’s what will happen if you’re seen as sensible in the first couple of levels. And given that the initial Big Blind already represents 6.67% of your stack, stealing blinds is the key to winning.
Never Fold The Button
The blinds are so valuable at Spin and Gold tables, especially if you’re playing 3-max. When you’re on the button in an unraised pot, you simply must use your position to try and pick up those chips.
However, it’s important to avoid min-raising. This leaves you vulnerable to a re-raise that would put you in a tough spot. Shoving is often the best play since every bet is such a high percentage of your stack. If you’ll end up pot committed anyway, you may as well just jam and apply the pressure.
Sklansky’s Gap Concept
You’re going to find yourself playing shove-fold poker a lot of the time during Spin and Gold games. But that doesn’t mean the usual “gap concept” doesn’t apply. Sklansky taught us that it requires a much stronger hand to call than it does to raise. And in turbo games like these, that remains true.
When facing an all-in, you should fold everything but premium hands anyway. But if facing a small raise, you need to think about persevering your stack, since chips are so valuable. Ideally, you would want to be first into the pot if you’re going to play, rather than calling.
Play the Players
With such little wiggle room due to the structure, it’s even more important than usual to pay attention to players. Make sure to keep notes on the regulars and learn who the grinders are and who likes the kamikaze approach.
The main aims are to try and figure out their ranges for calling an all-in, as well as their shoving ranges. This will greatly inform how you behave against them.
Spin and Gold: Final Thoughts
As you’ve learned from this thorough guide, Spin and Gold is an innovative poker Sit and Go format. While the lottery-style jackpot system can be found elsewhere, special features like Spin Insurance are unique. Combined with intriguing side bets, rewarding challenges, and generous promotions, SNG fans are sure to love this thrilling game.
Now that you’re armed with the necessary Spin and Gold rules and strategy tips, you must be itching to join the fun? Get involved today by signing up for an account at Natural8, where for just $0.25 you could have a shot at a $10,000 jackpot.
