Anonymous Online Poker Tables revisited

It’s been a while since I’ve posted on here (holidays and all) but I have really been meaning to revisit the topic of the Bodog Anonymous tables that the site launched a few weeks back.

It seems Bodog has cleared-up the encryption error that allowed the website HHSmithy.com to crack their Anonymous Table code and see each player’s Bodog ID#, as well as getting into a bit of flare-up with the online poker traffic site pokerscout.com –who Bodog claims is now “making-up” the data they use in their new Bodog numbers, a position that seems pretty accurate actually.

The site also released details of the security measures they will put in place to help players better detect colluders. Since the tables are all anonymous, the site has decided to send players any requested Hand Histories with all pre-flop cards “Open”.

These reasons are precisely why the Anonymous Tables are such a necessary advancement in online poker. Not only have they tossed a wrench into the current model which for some bizarre reason caters toward the highest-volume players, but it is also causing a lot of “testing” which should only improve whatever security measures are already in place.

I’ve always said that the #1 goal of any online poker room should be to make the player base as close in skill level as possible (the closer the skill level the more hands are needed before players go broke, which means more rake for the site). Why other sites have decided it’s better to increase the edge the best players have over the worst players is beyond me –allowing data-mining and tracking software simply lets the players in the “know” utterly crush the casual players. Instead of closing the gap in skill, allowing these third-party software add-ons and other sophisticated tools of professional players to be employed at the tables has only furthered the divide between the haves and the have-nots.

Anonymous Tables is not a singular change either, as we have already seen it has caused a ripple effect that may completely change online poker before it is all said and done, since if you implement Anonymous Tables you have to change security measures, and if you change security measures you will likely have to change another part of your software. As with anything new the flaws will be exposed and Bodog will work to fix these glitches, which will then cause new glitches or issues that will also need to be addressed, and so on, and son. This cycle should eventually lead to a terrific overall product.

For a better example of what I mean simply look at the current online poker model which basically states that nothing can be done about ghosting, account-sharing, multi-accounting, and so on, and the only way these crimes against the poker community ever get reported is because the person did something incredibly stupid like talk about it in an interview or on a poker forum. The notion that “it’s part of the game” needs to be rethought, because the only way online poker gains credibility is by taking on these problems head-on and solving them.