Sites go to anon tables to stop datamining so that those without trackers and huds are not disadvantaged. Trouble is lots of ppl including recs like me don't like the anon tables. A thought - why not put the usernames on the table, but anonymise the hand histories so they can't be read into a database?
The HH could be set up so that only the player's username is sent to their HH file, and all other players are seat1, etc.
Thoughts?

You mean like party does things?

This is the case on the chico network I believe, but companies have developed catchers that read the screen and get hands.

As the previous poster alluded to, you're making the mistake of assuming that all software needs hand histories to track players. So not only does this not solve the problem, but it means the only people who will be tracking players will be the ones knowledgeable enough to have the appropriate software.

Not saying that's necessarily better or worse, but there are pros and cons to either method.

FYI Global Poker has screennames but doesn't allow hand histories to be created/downloaded. They went as far as to temp ban people caught using software to make hand histories. Probably some people that still find a way to get histories but highly doubt it's widespread.

That's why I keep hand histories by hand. Modern problems require modern solutions.

Anon tables allow huds (I think on some sites).

I want the hand history. That is more important than knowing player names over the long term. Player names without data is the same as anon (IMHO).

The issue is that the sites are still charging exorbitant rake at any stakes below 5/10 such that it makes game selection a MUST if you want any chance of winning besides running way above EV. There is a reason that very low edge HS Hyper Turbos stopped being a game worth playing the second that Stars changed their rewards program and got rid of Supernova(+) and Supernova Elite. All of the changes sites have made recently in regards to knowing who you are playing against are an attempt to trick regs into playing games where all of the players are losing or close to it, if the regs were this stupid enough to play in these games they wouldn't be professional players. I've played ACR before and after the changes they made to the lobby/ability to see who is sitting before you sit down to play and guess what? THE TABLES ARE ALMOST EXACTLY THE SAME, this did nothing to change the reg:recreational ratio and the rake is still the same. The only difference is that you occasionally get regs to sometimes sit down and play for 6 hands before leaving a table that simply isn't worth playing. Sorry, but a game where you can be the best player at the table and every single player is losing or the winning players are collectively winning ~10% of how much rake is being off the table is an absolute ****ing joke. If you want reg vs reg games, lower the rake, this is why you see reg vs reg games at highstakes and at mid and small stakes games regs snap sit out when the player who is subsidizing the rake being paid leaves the table.

The best solution is to provide a "simple HUD" through the poker client and immediately ban anyone who attempts to add any assistance beyond that HUD, this would help even the minor edge that advanced HUDs give over players who aren't using them. Players should also be provided hand histories 24 hours after they play so that they are still able to import their hands into a 3rd party database/tracking software and be able to track and analyze their results.

Can get behind this. though there is no way to table select on Ignition, Bovada. So, I leave the table if it feels like paint drying. Otherwise, I pseudo gto in Zone, waiting for opponents to make mistakes.

I haven't played on Ingition/Bovada poker video in over a decade, but just from watching poker videos on that network I know that the game selection is already done for you by having a playerpool with a higher density of recretional/fun players than on other sites. It's the same for SVS, no Swedish player who has ever actually played there is going to argue differently lol.

+1

The big problem with the bolded though is that it makes the games even worst. I mean the bad players see this and start to think that people are playing together. They then stop playing completly online and the games get worst.

Have you played on Ignition/Bovada at 500nl+?

People jump in/out of games constantly, and when they find a fish, they snap sit out when they bust.

At worst, it takes 10 hands to identify a recreational player at HS.

Zone does help, but you can still often tell by stack size/bet sizing in smaller pools. It's also just not the most rec friendly format. You simply lose money too fast/have no time to think about hands, even in big pots, which hurts recs far more.

This is ignoring that fact that there is also groups of regs in that pool that talk with each other, and share when there's a whale playing/when they bust. (Not saying this is ok, just saying it's happening.)


I just simply have not seen a good solution to poker being a predatory game unfortunately.