Cake Poker is allowing PokerTracker 3 customers to utilize one of the most common tools in online poker: the Heads Up Display (HUD). The exclusive rights granted to the poker software provider represents a shift in philosophy for Cake.
As one of the few remaining-US facing poker networks, Cake has been known for their hard-lined opposition to the use of software while playing at the tables. Their Security section of their web site states, “We are proud to lead the way in preventing the effectiveness of software that unfairly gives players an advantage over others at the table.” Their Terms of Service explain that,”the use of any software during the game that is designed to track and display the actions of the other players on the site” is expressly prohibited.
It seems Cake may be willing to change their position, at least on a trial basis.
“Cake Network has agreed to permit PokerTracker HUDs that display data from the current table session,” it states in the release notes of version 3.11.3 BETA, released yesterday. “This is a PokerTracker exclusive feature, Cake will use this exclusive term to test the effects of PokerTracker’s HUD on their network and gauge player response.”
This is the first time players have been permitted to see opponents stats at the table. Though players could use tracking software to import hands for future analysis, no “real time” software was authorized for use on the site. The exclusive deal with PT3 only permits session statistics to be displayed in the HUD, so no historical data can be shown. This is in-line with Cake’s general policy of protecting player anonymity: Players have always been allowed to change their screen names every seven days.
But perhaps Cake has larger problems to worry about than whether they should permit the use of HUDs. This week, pokerfuse reported how Cake is causing many players serious concern, with withdrawals taking more that two months.
As one twitter user succicently puts it, “@PokerTracker Is Cake Poker also going to test the viability of actually processing cashouts?”
