Rake, too, is a consideration, for it typically amounts to around 4% of the buy-in rather than the usual 10%. In the short-term, variance may be huge, but the long-term and subsequent evening-out of variance will arrive a lot quicker. Given that the average hyper duration is around nine minutes, these figures seem reasonable.

Think of it this way: a player with a 2% edge at the table in a hyper will yield significantly more profit in a week than one with a 5% edge in a turbo, assuming an easily-attainable target of 1,000 hypers versus 350 turbos. As such, the oft-misunderstood ‘long run’ can be reached very quickly. With fewer postflop decisions, a good player can play many more tables. Any edge, however slim, is immensely valuable in sit-and-gos, especially when volume is not an issue.

One of the great misconceptions is that small edges equate to small profits. Edges might not be massive, but they still exist. As the popularity of hypers has increased, the standard of play is less impressive than in more standard SNG formats. Why, then, would the format attract the top regs? Simply put, where there are fish, so too there will be sharks. Certain advanced moves such as isolating, floating and barrelling are pretty much redundant. In hyper turbos, with no likelihood of deep-stacked play and little by way of postflop play, the good player’s edge will be limited. The more streets a fish plays, the more errors they are liable to make. Such a large part of a good player’s edge in a standard SNG comes postflop. A sit-and-go player who can’t handle swings is like being a surgeon who’s afraid of blood. There are edges to be found and a lot of money to be made for those who can circumvent tilt and endure the short-term swings. Hyper turbos are not for the faint-hearted, but neither are they the crapshoots that some naysayers would have you believe. Furthermore, hypers offer a quick fix of action and a shot at making some fast money. For the recreational player, the thrill of the end-game is never far away. Tournament duration frequently stays in the single-digits, and edges are lower than Kerry Katona’s credit rating. Rather than the traditional 50BB or 75BB starting stacks, entrants start with 25BB and the blinds increase more frequently.

For those unfamiliar with the format, hypers are like six-max turbos on amphetamines.

Turbo poker strategy