Run It Twice is back on PokerStars on FanDuel. The operator has restored the popular all-in feature to its cash game tables across the US and Canada, according to Pokerfuse, which cited a Poker Industry PRO report that the rollout happened on Monday, November 9, 2026. The feature is available on all cash game tables with no stake restrictions, and it's live in Alberta, where PokerStars recently launched under the PokerStars on FanDuel brand.
For players who lost the option when PokerStars moved its North American business to Playtech's iPoker network, this is a welcome return. It's also a useful moment to look at what Run It Twice really does to your results, because the feature is often misunderstood.
Why Run It Twice Disappeared
PokerStars first added Run It Twice (RIT) to real-money play back in 2012, and it was part of the operator's legacy North American software for years. When PokerStars on FanDuel migrated to Playtech's iPoker platform, the feature was dropped.
Now it's back. The operator describes RIT as a way to make all-in pots "more attractive and fun." There's no extra charge to use it.
The return fits a pattern since the iPoker move. PokerStars on FanDuel has also added a tournament statistics HUD and an estimated tournament duration display. One iPoker feature still missing in regulated US markets is All-In Cashout. iPoker supports it, but it isn't offered on PokerStars on FanDuel or elsewhere in the regulated US yet. In markets where it exists, it usually carries a fee.
How Run It Twice Works
The mechanics are simple:
- Two or more players are all-in before all five community cards are dealt.
- If both players agree, the remaining board cards are dealt twice.
- The pot is split into two equal halves, and each board decides one half.
- If either player declines, the hand plays out once on a single board.
So if you get your money in on the flop with a big draw against an overpair, you might win one board and lose the other, splitting the pot instead of scooping it or losing it all.
The Math: Same EV, Lower Variance
The most common misconception about Run It Twice is that it changes who's favored. It doesn't. As Pokerfuse notes, RIT doesn't change a hand's odds or expected value. It reduces the variance of all-in outcomes.
Here's a simple example. Say you're all-in on the turn with a flush draw. You have nine outs on a 44-card river, roughly a 20% chance to win.
| Scenario | Run once | Run twice |
|---|---|---|
| Chance to win whole pot | ~20% | ~3.8% (win both) |
| Chance to win half the pot | 0% | ~33.3% (split boards) |
| Chance to lose whole pot | ~80% | ~62.9% (lose both) |
| Expected share of the pot | ~20% | ~20% |
These figures account for the second river coming from the 43 cards left after the first run. The key point: your average result is the same. What changes is how often you hit the extremes. You'll win full pots less often and lose full pots less often. To work out your own equity in spots like this, try our poker odds calculator or read our explainer on what equity is.
A Short History of Run It Twice Online
Run It Twice started in live high-stakes cash games and became famous on TV shows like High Stakes Poker and Poker After Dark, where players would routinely run big pots twice or even more.
Online, adoption has been gradual, according to Pokerfuse's timeline:
- April 2008: Merge Gaming introduced it as "Deal It Twice."
- 2009: Full Tilt Poker followed.
- 2012: PokerStars added it to real-money play.
- 2020: PartyPoker added it.
- 2022: iPoker began rolling it out, starting on bet365 and then other skins.
- April 2026: 888 introduced it across all its markets.
- GGPoker offers a three-board variant, Deal It Thrice.
In the US regulated market, BetRivers Poker and WSOP Online already offer RIT, so PokerStars on FanDuel restoring it closes a gap with its main competitors.
Competitive Context: The US Poker Race
The timing matters. PokerStars on FanDuel has been battling WSOP Online for the top spot in the regulated US market. Features like RIT matter most to regular cash game players, the same players who generate the most rake and are most likely to compare platforms. For context on that race, see our coverage of PokerStars on FanDuel vs WSOP.
There's also a regional angle. RIT is live in Alberta, the newest Canadian province with regulated online poker, where PokerStars on FanDuel recently launched as a ring-fenced site. Alberta players get the feature from the start, which helps the brand compete in a new market.
The site's welcome offer, according to Pokerfuse, includes a 100% first-deposit match up to $1,000 plus $10 in poker tickets for eligible new players, and it runs a shared player pool across Michigan, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
When Should You Run It Twice?
Because EV doesn't change, the decision is about comfort and bankroll, not edge. Some practical guidelines:
- Say yes when you're under-rolled. If a pot is large compared with your bankroll, lowering variance protects you from a big swing. Our bankroll management guide explains why variance is the enemy of a thin bankroll.
- Say yes if you're prone to tilt. Losing a huge pot on the river can wreck your next hour. Splitting boards can soften the blow. Read more on what tilt is and how to manage it.
- It's fine to decline. If you're well rolled and playing within your limits, running it once costs nothing in the long run. Some players simply prefer it.
- Don't let it change your decisions. Never call an all-in you'd otherwise fold because you can run it twice. The math of the call is the same either way. Our pot odds guide covers how to make the call correctly.
There's also a small strategic wrinkle. In tournaments, where survival matters, splitting boards can have different value, but RIT here is a cash game feature. For more on how the formats differ, see our cash games vs tournaments comparison.
What This Means for Players
For regular cash players on PokerStars on FanDuel, this is a quality-of-life upgrade, not a change to the game's economics. Your long-term results depend on your decisions, not on how many boards are dealt.
But quality-of-life features matter in a competitive market. Players notice when tools they're used to disappear, and restoring RIT removes a common complaint about the iPoker migration. If All-In Cashout eventually arrives in US regulated markets, players will have even more ways to manage variance.
If you play real-money cash games and want to compare where the best tables are, see our guide to online cash games.