Anonymous Poker: Is it good for the game?

[Tammy]

For the grinders in online poker, HUDs and hand histories are a great tool to help study the game, look back on past mistakes, and create profiles against "regs" or even just who you are sitting at the table with.

But some sites have done away with that completely, in and effort to protect the new or recreational player from the shark, by instituting anonymous tables. Players are typically assigned a number, and don't even display their username. But does this really protect the fish, or does it help the sharks to hide in plain site?

Read our article: Anonymous Poker - What is it? and learn about exactly what Anonymous Poker is, and what it means for the game. Are you infavor of anonymous tables, or do you prefer to keep your HUD? Come back here and share your thoughts!

 

[Salavat Kozhakhmetov]

I think that anonymity in poker gives an advantage, and gives chances to win to weaker players, and regulars play mainly at a distance and multi-tabling,so for me it's more a good thing,personally don't use HUD and play according to the situation of watching the players!

 

[lsbenn]

Personally I don't like anonymous tables. I work on my game and keep notes on players so this would be a disadvantage. I strictly do not play on these sites for that very reason.

 

[kozong]

yes for HUDless ppl, no for HUDed guys
but generally good because most ppl are HUDless i assume (unless its SnGs)

 

[Edison A]

personally I do not like anonymous tables, everything should be public in certain bets, I personally do not play, I prefer conventional games, I do not like to risk my money where I have doubts

 

[henriquemaduro]

Since I dont take notes, I prefer play at anonymous tables.

 

[copycutpaste]

For the grinders in online poker, HUDs and hand histories are a great tool to help study the game, look back on past mistakes, and create profiles against "regs" or even just who you are sitting at the table with.

But some sites have done away with that completely, in and effort to protect the new or recreational player from the shark, by instituting anonymous tables. Players are typically assigned a number, and don't even display their username. But does this really protect the fish, or does it help the sharks to hide in plain site?

Read our article: Anonymous Poker - What is it? and learn about exactly what Anonymous Poker is, and what it means for the game. Are you infavor of anonymous tables, or do you prefer to keep your HUD? Come back here and share your thoughts!

Is there suppose to be an article linked to this post? I cannot find it.

 

[mtl mile end]

The link doesn't work. Is it anonymous?

We'll have greater insight into how members feel about anonymous games after tomorrow's unibet FreeRoll. Personally, I've only played a few. I don't like it, but it hasn't really bothered me yet. I don't chat much, but I like to know if I know the players at my table.

 

[fordman427]

It keeps better players from taking advantage of weaker players but me personally I like to know who I am playing

 

[Tammy]

Is there suppose to be an article linked to this post? I cannot find it.

The link doesn't work. Is it anonymous?

We'll have greater insight into how members feel about anonymous games after tomorrow's UniBet FreeRoll. Personally, I've only played a few. I don't like it, but it hasn't really bothered me yet. I don't chat much, but I like to know if I know the players at my table.

Whoopsie! Fixed!

 

[copycutpaste]

Umm Yea...not a big fan...I like people to use player names...I've been playing for a LONG time and opponents have always had player names...I like to keep track of who I am playing with and how they play...plus it's fun to see what unique usernames people come up with...A BIG THUMBS DOWN TO ANONYMOUS GAMEPLAY

 

[BilNicholson]

is it good for the game? yes definitely, but i prefer non anonymous tables.

 

[chicopaw]

Anonymous Poker, i have heard and seen some sites now using this, Is it good ,I think so, If you have played many years ago ,prior to huds and stat tracking i would venture to say you were more successful,
Not knowing about a player ,you need to spend a lot more time watching the group around ur table.Not being able to do so,such as multi tables will definintly put you in a disadvantage,
Paying attention equalls winning and no stats will help
I love this and hope it becomes the future of online gaming ,

 

[Kiritoe]

I think anonymous is good for the game. It would prevent "Regulars" to do table picking and only pick tables with weaker players. As such, it will benefit more re-creational players to have edges over these regulars.

 

[emirlidan]

I hate being an anonymous fan but the “regs and “pros” are really to blame by constantly pushing huds and other technology it’s forced the hand of some poker software.

I’m all for keeping track of your own stats but no way should you ever be able to see someone else’s

 

[freestocks]

I like the anonymous poker at Bovada/ignition. I also like having a username. I don't use HUD. I just play.

 

[Zzzms]

Better for recreational players and worse for pros.
The information gap between those with hud's and those without is notable.
The leveled out playing field makes the casual player way less of a dog against the regs and pros.

 

[wsbar]

Knowing who you are playing against is critical to your decision making. Are we facing a player who bluff too much? or are we facing an opponent who rarely bluffs? and with anonymity you eliminate that possibility and make you play more cautiously. I think regardless of anything, poker should charge you more of yourself every day.

 

[mariuspoker1]

After my humble oppinion i don't think that by knowing the identity of the others players you have a big advantage; I'm saying this because for example me I'm changing my game style all the time so even if you know that I'm at the table and you played with me before won't help you too much. So the key to cancel the advantage of knowing who you are is to vary the game all the time.One more thing: anonymous or not if the cards running in the opponents favour you'll lose anyway.

 

[sergik1992]

Thank you for good article! The information, reproduced here isnew for me. I think this format is good for players, who don`t use any poker soft and on the other hand it`s bad for players, who use it. The similar situation we can find in pokerstars Home Games. But the differnce is, that we see nicknames of our opponents and we can have nots.

 

[vov4ik]

I play anonymous caches on one poker room, I like to play when players do not know my nickname and who plays with them, for some players who play it well to hide their nickname and win from other players, for me the anonymous game is excellent a way to play and that players do not know who plays with them!

 

[8bod8]

link works.
I prefer anonymous play, and just take notes on paper. Using a HUD makes players partial bots, the HUD making the difference, rather than the player.

Interesting to know which rooms have anonymous play, only one I know:
Unibet, each player has 4 id's, and even those you can change.

 

[chronical]

IMHO - 100% it's better.
Now the game is to much stats based. You can order minning (yeah like you cant, but .... you can). On rooms like GG or unibet you have a "feeeling" that your or is folding too much in on rooms were you can have HM or PT you !know! as you can see that the last 10 3bet spots you op folded to a 4bet or folded to a 3 bet, or to.... something/. SO rooms were you dont know might be better. I mean you can see GG is doing OK. So it makes you think. + it works in favour of non shatk/GTO players witch mean there will be less of thous mid stake grinders that play 10000 tables.

 

[Dmytro Lysyuk]

I prefer anonymous play,I dont used HUD. I just play and enjoyed game.

 

[benitwapasu]

I think anonymous players would be really boring! I like to look at peoples names--their pictures or avatars and what country they are from.