Bovada anonymity

[ScooperNova]

Others do agree with my opinin that live poker is a different beast than online poker. Here is a post from another thread by user PrOkatana:

"You may not studied long enough to start making profit, my opinion is supposed to learn as online poker bears no resemblance to the live"

 

[Poker Orifice]

I like the anonymity factor. It forces people to actively take notes instead of just reading a HUD. So if you can buckle down and pay attention to your opponents you can gain an edge in that perspective.

But the notes are only there for such a short period of time... it also makes them useless.
I don't use a HUD but I can tell you there is a HUGE difference (for 'me') when I'm on sites where I can recognize/identify players from my prior notes (& colour-coding). By having screenames you can actually adapt to the other players on your tables (you know... like exploiting their tendancies & weaknesses, knowing stuff they're capable of (or not capable of), etc. etc.,... you know kinda like 'playing poker'). I feel that anonymous poker just knocks the level of play down a few tiers. Personally I think it sucks so bad that even though I know Bodonka is super soft/full-o-fish, I cannot get myself to play on there just because of how much I detest the anonymous b.s.

 

[Poker Orifice]

so I don't know any of the differences created by playing against players that you can identify. Other than the lack of a HUD I don't see how it would be much different.

Really you can't picture it?

Try picturing this >>>

You're at a live charity tourney at the local casino on a Saturday. This particular tourney brings out all sorts of players ie. some who are regulars at the casino, others who might be playing live for their very first time due to the nature of the event, etc. etc.
Can you picture the difference of playing these players if all of them were wearing a paper bag over their heads & a large garbage bag over their torso vs. being able to see each of them?
4hours into the tournament, you've been moved a couple times and now you're facing a 3bet from 'paperbag-head'... what range do you put them on (lol).
You're in the same tournament the following weekend... you've been moved a couple times and now you're facing a 3bet from that kid with the pokerstars jersey on... the same one you saw 3-betting light & often at around the same stage of the tourney the month before. Oh wait! You look closer after removing what felt like a piece of a paperbag stuck in your eye and now you see it's actually that 80yr. old granny who only 3bets AA/KK

Are you able to see a difference now?

 

[HooDooKoo]

Really you can't picture it?

Try picturing this >>>

You're at a live charity tourney at the local casino on a Saturday. This particular tourney brings out all sorts of players ie. some who are regulars at the casino, others who might be playing live for their very first time due to the nature of the event, etc. etc.
Can you picture the difference of playing these players if all of them were wearing a paper bag over their heads & a large garbage bag over their torso vs. being able to see each of them?
4hours into the tournament, you've been moved a couple times and now you're facing a 3bet from 'paperbag-head'... what range do you put them on (lol).
You're in the same tournament the following weekend... you've been moved a couple times and now you're facing a 3bet from that kid with the pokerstars jersey on... the same one you saw 3-betting light & often at around the same stage of the tourney the month before. Oh wait! You look closer after removing what felt like a piece of a paperbag stuck in your eye and now you see it's actually that 80yr. old granny who only 3bets AA/KK

Are you able to see a difference now?

You should definitely be playing at Bovada, PO.

Those of us that do, and do so profitably, have gotten VERY good at QUICKLY identifying the patterns/trends of our anonymous opponents. It sounds like doing that is tough for you, but it's an important skill for a player at Bovada --- and it's a skill that helps anywhere else you play, too. Spend some time developing that skill further --- at Bovada --- and you'll become a better player everywhere.

Good luck.

-HooDooKoo

 

[Poker Orifice]

You should definitely be playing at Bovada, PO.

Those of us that do, and do so profitably, have gotten VERY good at QUICKLY identifying the patterns/trends of our anonymous opponents. It sounds like doing that is tough for you, but it's an important skill for a player at Bovada --- and it's a skill that helps anywhere else you play, too. Spend some time developing that skill further --- at Bovada --- and you'll become a better player everywhere.

Good luck.

-HooDooKoo

It seems you've misinterpretted or 'assumed' what it is that I don't like about anonymous players. I don't have a problem with picking up patterns/trends/styles quickly. It's just that I am very familiar with doing it on tables where I can see an avatar or a screename & immeditately begin correlating that screename/avatar's play with their name/avatar. Then start adding in notes & colour-coding... and then add in 10 tables and you might then get the drift of why I don't want to add Bodonka into the mix.

I actually did try to get myself to play on there... I even kept ~$500 on there for a few mos., thinking that one day I would make it part of the schedule. I think I tried playing on there twice before realizing it wasn't going to happen.

 

[TheKid84]

You should definitely be playing at Bovada, PO.

Those of us that do, and do so profitably, have gotten VERY good at QUICKLY identifying the patterns/trends of our anonymous opponents. It sounds like doing that is tough for you, but it's an important skill for a player at Bovada --- and it's a skill that helps anywhere else you play, too. Spend some time developing that skill further --- at Bovada --- and you'll become a better player everywhere.

Good luck.

-HooDooKoo

The notion of not playing at Bovada anymore is a very understandable one.

With PO's example, it doesn't matter how profitable anyone is in the anonymity era and picking up patterns/trends, if you're moved to a new table in an MTT and get re-raised in an important hand relatively soon, absolutely nobody will feel comfortable making that decision. I'm not sure what the number of hands would consider to be a pattern or trend, but within the first round is for certain not.

If avatars and previous tournament notes were a part of the scene then a much much more comfortable decision can be made.

*Side note - I think next time I'm in an MTT on Bovada and there's a newbie ID, going to try and find a hand where I can re-pop him no matter what, just for giggles*

 

[DVFreewill]

Do you think Bovada will ever return to having screen-names?

 

[CustomClouds]

The anonymous playing on Bovada is good is some sense but if you are a solid player who enjoys tracking and keeping info on other players it def makes it harder in a way. I also think it opens the door for other problems like you dont know who you are playing therefore you cant label an account like if you suspected someone of cheating. For example some of you may remember "Potripper" and many other screennames as featured on 60 minutes who cheated on absolute by seeing the hole cards and imagine if he could be anonymous and people didnt have his screenname to do research to find out what was going on. Now dont get me wrong im not saying there are superuser accounts on bovada or nothing, all im saying is the anonymity could be an issue for things like this. I dont know, this is one of my first posts, let me know what you think

 

[or3o1990]

The anonymous playing on Bovada is good is some sense but if you are a solid player who enjoys tracking and keeping info on other players it def makes it harder in a way. I also think it opens the door for other problems like you dont know who you are playing therefore you cant label an account like if you suspected someone of cheating. For example some of you may remember "Potripper" and many other screennames as featured on 60 minutes who cheated on absolute by seeing the hole cards and imagine if he could be anonymous and people didnt have his screenname to do research to find out what was going on. Now dont get me wrong im not saying there are superuser accounts on bovada or nothing, all im saying is the anonymity could be an issue for things like this. I dont know, this is one of my first posts, let me know what you think

I think you're absolutely right on both points. It would be near impossible to know if people were colluding or cheating on bovada.

I've had my suspicions in the past. I remember one time where three people were disconnected at the same time more than once in a session and on more than one sng table too.i did take screen shots of it but I was winning so I figured I was wrong..

 

[SBritt]

I agree, I do like Bovada for certain reasons and enjoy the different feel the anonymous tables have since it is a nice change sometimes, but there is something about it I do not trust and would not put a sizable amount of my own money into.

 

[army-ninja]

I love bovada, but they no longer accept maryland players... Such a bummer

 

[SBritt]

I love bovada, but they no longer accept maryland players... Such a bummer

Any idea the reason behind that?

 

[badboyboat]

Any idea the reason behind that?

They say their having a hard time maintaining payment options.

http://www.pokeraddict.net/bovada-bans-maryland-players-any-other-states/

 

[Jpetro]

I actually don't mind the anonymous players. I do find that I can only play 1-2 tables at a time. Every now and then I would end up with 3-4 tables open and would find myself lost very quickly. I will say that I prefer their software over all other sites that are US friendly. I haven't played there in a while. I may have to redeposit....

 

[Jpetro]

Update! So I deposited on the 28th and honestly can say that the games haven't changed much. Played a little 25nl up to 100nl since then. 100nl was super fishy a few nights ago (won 4 buyins). I guess I still don't mind the anonymity. Haha

 

[or3o1990]

Really you can't picture it?

Try picturing this >>>

You're at a live charity tourney at the local casino on a Saturday. This particular tourney brings out all sorts of players ie. some who are regulars at the casino, others who might be playing live for their very first time due to the nature of the event, etc. etc.
Can you picture the difference of playing these players if all of them were wearing a paper bag over their heads & a large garbage bag over their torso vs. being able to see each of them?
4hours into the tournament, you've been moved a couple times and now you're facing a 3bet from 'paperbag-head'... what range do you put them on (lol).
You're in the same tournament the following weekend... you've been moved a couple times and now you're facing a 3bet from that kid with the pokerstars jersey on... the same one you saw 3-betting light & often at around the same stage of the tourney the month before. Oh wait! You look closer after removing what felt like a piece of a paperbag stuck in your eye and now you see it's actually that 80yr. old granny who only 3bets AA/KK

Are you able to see a difference now?

You definitely make a good point. I just don't know the difference because I only play on bovada so I don't know any better lol.

 

[EA2USN]

or3o1990 makes a good point, unfortunately for USA PLAYERS the paper bag charity tourney is the best game in town