Bodog plans to roll out a system update that will allow players to request hand histories for any hands where the player suspects collusion. The hand histories will include hole card information for all players at the table but – because the tables are all anonymous – the information would be of no use beyond analyzing an individual session.
The move comes in response to one of the criticisms of Bodog’s new “anonymous” poker client that removes all screen names from the virtual poker tables.
“There is only really one criticism that stands up to scrutiny and that is whether the lack of usernames can increase the opportunity for collusion,” stated Bodog UK CEO Patrik Selin in an interview on Bodog founder’s site CalvinAyre.com.
It is not clear by what process players will need to go through to request this information, or whether it will be readily available in the client. According to Selin, the update will be introduced in Q1 of 2012, fast-tracked ahead of other changes – such as a forthcoming Mac client – due to the player concerns raised.
Along with removing all player names, notes and any other way to identify players, Bodog has also blocked the use of personal trackers and HUDs and even mucked hole-card display at showdown.
Until there are full details on how the changes will be implemented and to what extend a player is allowed to request data, it is unclear how this will remedy player concerns. The detection of many cheating scandals in the past – including bots and subtle forms of collusion – have made use of historical data, not just individual hand histories.
