Bovada, Bodog Network’s gaming room, is the first to offer software which prevents game tracking programs to gather poker players’ game history. The program is called Recreational Poker Model, and is deeply embedded in the core values of the operator as its main target group is casual players.
The anti-tracking program was implemented by the president of the company at the time – Jonas Ödman. He explained in an interview for Inside Gaming, that after the Recreational Poker Model was successfully implemented in Bodog Poker Network, he would like to bring it in the United States by establishing a business-to-business start-up company.
Bovada aims at servicing players who do not play poker with tracking software so as to increase their chance of winning. In order to assess the progress of the model, a study was conducted, asking the users of the features whether they are happy with it. More than 50% of the interviewees said they were satisfied with Recreational Poker Model and that it had fulfilled their expectations. Less than 15% did not like the model, whereas a little less than 20% expected of it to be better.
There is a big variety of software which lets poker players collect crucial data about other players. These tools gather game history such as the hands played, the way they are played, when a player is aggressive or passive or usually bluffs on specific occasions or cards. All this information is then stored on players’ personal computers, and they can access it later through a heads-up display and better decide how to play against their opponents.
Bodog Network found it difficult to make depositing players keep on playing the game. The company believes that casual players, who usually pay to join games, are the backbone of the industry, unlike the so-called ‘grinders’, who often join free-entrance games or pay much less and try to work their way up with the help of tracking tools.
Sites with anti-tracking features offer a more balanced game to recreational players and therefore, make it more enjoyable for them. At first, the poker community did not welcome the idea of such features, however, over time, more and more websites implemented similar tools to their poker rooms. Some of these companies included MicroGaming, Party Poker, and Unibet.
Winamax was the latest operator to join this initiative. The French operator named its anti-tracking system Incognito Tables. Its slogan stated that no one will know players’ personal information or game history.
Hardcore players and grinders still have poker rooms such as PokerStars or Full Tilt to play in. There, they can play on lots of tables at the same time and aim for a profit. Now, both casual and professional players have a place to enjoy poker.
