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Anonymous Poker - A Good Idea?

Ian Ross
- 270 posts
November 13, 2010 7:16:36 AM EST

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Ladbrokes Poker is the first site I've come across offering anonymous poker games where your alias and avatar aren't shown to the other players. It stops people taking notes about your play or getting to know your playing style.

It's set to expand to other sites as well with some of the big name sites considering something similar.

Is this a good thing?

Does it help the fish who's learning the game to become more hidden and able to practise incognito? Or does it help the good players beat up the fish over and over again?

What's everyone's thoughts?
Anthony Martino
- 494 posts
November 13, 2010 7:56:50 AM EST

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Well, from a devils advocate pov, perhaps this might help teams/partners at a table to remain hidden (i.e. there's no way for other players to identify who the partnered players are in order to report them)
Ian Ross
- 270 posts
November 13, 2010 8:03:00 AM EST

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Do people actually report possible collusion? I thought this was fairly rare and the sites themselves are more likely to spot any mischief.
Ronin1085 .
- 417 posts
November 13, 2010 8:06:52 AM EST

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I'm not a note-taker -- but I mainly play larger field tourneys. I rarely see the same players. I play the table. Just have mental notes. It's probably more of a cash game issue.

Does it help or hurt the newer players?? I really doubt it either way. And I doubt that it benefits more experienced players as well.

Personally I don't like the idea though -- cause the person is part of the game, regardless if taking notes about them.

You can tell a lot about a player just by their name and avatar.

It's kinda the same reason I won't play Rush player -- it doesn't feel like real poker.

But that's just me.
Anthony Martino
- 494 posts
November 13, 2010 1:26:12 PM EST

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Ian wrote...
Do people actually report possible collusion? I thought this was fairly rare and the sites themselves are more likely to spot any mischief.

Interesting, I was under the impression that it was the players who caught all the biggest cheating scandals and not the sites
Ronin1085 .
- 417 posts
November 13, 2010 2:31:11 PM EST

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anthony wrote...

Ian wrote...
Do people actually report possible collusion? I thought this was fairly rare and the sites themselves are more likely to spot any mischief.

Interesting, I was under the impression that it was the players who caught all the biggest cheating scandals and not the sites
All the biggest scandals I have read about were caught by players. I know the UB first one for sure. Granted, that was a bit more than collusion lol
Kashuskay -
- 19 posts
November 14, 2010 7:26:04 AM EST

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I want to know who is sitting at my table and I think this is an awful way to go.

Kash
Kashuskay -
- 19 posts
November 14, 2010 7:27:46 AM EST

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Ian wrote...
Do people actually report possible collusion? I thought this was fairly rare and the sites themselves are more likely to spot any mischief.
In my opinion it's the only way they are caught. The sites still make their rake if there's collusion or not. I don't think they have anything in place to catch colluders untill such time as they are tipped off.

Kash
Ian Ross
- 270 posts
November 15, 2010 11:09:12 AM EST

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Ronin1085 wrote...

anthony wrote...

Ian wrote...
Do people actually report possible collusion? I thought this was fairly rare and the sites themselves are more likely to spot any mischief.

Interesting, I was under the impression that it was the players who caught all the biggest cheating scandals and not the sites
All the biggest scandals I have read about were caught by players. I know the UB first one for sure. Granted, that was a bit more than collusion lol

I think, and I might be wrong, that all of the larger sites have methods for detecting collusion and find many scams before banning players, etc.

Of course, they don't advertise the fact since it's not going to help their business. Which is why you mainly hear about the collusions rings, etc, found by players.
Ronin1085 .
- 417 posts
November 15, 2010 12:18:50 PM EST

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I'd like to know what those methods are. the UB scandel was an inside job. And props to the players that caught it.
Anthony Martino
- 494 posts
November 15, 2010 2:39:50 PM EST

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If they reveal their methods of detection then it makes it easier for people to try and circumvent those methods
Ronin1085 .
- 417 posts
November 15, 2010 5:28:00 PM EST

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anthony wrote...
If they reveal their methods of detection then it makes it easier for people to try and circumvent those methods

You can still give people a general idea without telling all your secrets. Basically all they can track is common IP addresses, frequent money transfers between people, along with a player having a sudden win rate.

I hope they have more than that.
Janet Shold
- 52 posts
November 16, 2010 9:48:04 AM EST

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It wouldn't be as embarr***ing when you make an incredibly stupid move! Other than that, i can't think of any good reason to have players play as anonymous. Any advantage one gains is the same for all others. I suppose of you're one who doesn't take notes; playing more by feel and intuition, you would have the advantage over note-takers and wouldn't be distracted by names and/or avatars.

We can expect to see innovative ideas for online poker continue to pop up for online poker, as it is such a huge industry. There'll be something for everybody.
Ian Ross
- 270 posts
November 16, 2010 10:30:05 AM EST

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NannaJanna wrote...
I suppose of you're one who doesn't take notes; playing more by feel and intuition, you would have the advantage over note-takers and wouldn't be distracted by names and/or avatars.

That's what I was thinking too. The note takers lose out a bit and the players who play the cards or by intuition, score a little but on the whole, no great shakes.
Ian Ross
- 270 posts
November 16, 2010 10:32:33 AM EST

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NannaJanna wrote...

We can expect to see innovative ideas for online poker continue to pop up for online poker, as it is such a huge industry. There'll be something for everybody.

I agree, there's bound to be lots of new ideas in the pipeline.

Wish I could come up with the next BIG thing, there's bound to be a few dollars in it for the inventor somewhere!!!

Now if someone could dream up the next "Rush Poker" and work it right......
Ronin1085 .
- 417 posts
November 16, 2010 9:36:13 PM EST

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Once you take the "People aspect" out of poker -- is it really poker? I don't consider Rush poker "Poker" -- I see that the same as playing Keno.

If you can't play a game in a live setting -- then it's not poker.

IMO