Online poker players on PokerStars’ global dot-com platform can now enjoy more flexibility at the cash game tables. The operator has raised the maximum number of cash tables per player from six to eight, marking its second increase in just a few weeks.
A Quick Turnaround: From Four to Eight in Weeks
For six years, PokerStars enforced a strict four-table cap on regular cash games. This policy, introduced in 2019, was designed to improve the ecosystem for recreational players by reducing the dominance of professional multi-tablers.
That all changed this summer. In July 2025, following the global launch of Seatfinder — a blind lobby system that automatically assigns seats rather than letting players hand-pick tables — PokerStars lifted the cap from four to six. Only weeks later, the ceiling has now been raised again to eight.
The new limit applies to all regular cash formats — 6-max, full-ring, and heads-up — across all game types. Fast-fold Zoom, tournaments, and Sit & Gos remain unaffected.
Why the Cap Matters
Historically, PokerStars allowed players to manage up to 24 tables at once, a number that heavily favored professional grinders. While it enabled high-volume play, it also slowed down games for everyone else.
In 2018 and 2019, PokerStars began experimenting with stricter limits, starting in Italy and Southern Europe before applying a global four-table restriction. The aim was clear: prioritize a better experience for recreational players, who usually play just one or two tables.
Now, with Seatfinder eliminating predatory seat selection and table scouting, the operator appears confident enough to loosen restrictions again.
Industry Context: How PokerStars Compares
PokerStars’ new eight-table cap puts it back in line with some of its competitors, but it still falls short of the most liberal operators:
| Operator | Multi-Tabling Cap (Cash Games) |
|---|---|
| PokerStars (dot-com) | 8 (previously 6) |
| PokerStars (Southern Europe) | 6 |
| GGPoker | 9 at same stakes |
| PartyPoker | 18 |
| 888poker | 6 |
| Unibet | 8–10 (depending on stakes) |
| WPT Global | 4 |
GGPoker and PartyPoker continue to allow significantly higher volumes, while WPT Global remains the most restrictive at just four tables.
What’s Next for Players?
Whether this change will increase traffic on PokerStars remains to be seen. The site is currently estimated to be the third-largest operator worldwide for cash games, behind GGPoker and WPT Global.
The move also reignites a long-standing debate: does higher volume hurt game quality? PokerStars is betting that its blind lobby system will strike the right balance, curbing seat-hunting behavior while giving grinders more flexibility.
For now, players on the global platform can double-up their sessions compared to the long-standing four-table freeze — a welcome shift for many who had been calling for change.
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