- Low stakes anonymous tables at Titan Poker running.
- Network rollout expected to commence next week.
- Games up to $100/200 will be spread.
- Anonymous tables are optional, currently running alongside traditional tables.
The iPoker Network has added anonymous tables to its NL cash game offerings, pokerfuse has learned.
A spokesperson for the network informed pokerfuse that they were “soft-launching” the new feature and more details will be announced next week.
Various “top-tier” skins hint at the addition, with a new “anonymous” option in cash game filters. However, apparently only Titan Poker is currently spreading the new tables.
Currently, only 6-max and HU tables at 10c/20c, 25c/50c and 50c/$1 are available, with a couple of active tables as players test the water.
However, according to PokerStrategy.com, a large affiliate for many iPoker rooms, games up to $100/$200 will be spread for the initial launch, as well as low-stakes full ring tables.
Anyone sat at such tables will have their screen names masked from other players, showing up simply as “player1” through “player9.”
The idea of hiding the identity of players at online poker tables is not new, but not widespread.
Its most common adoption is at heads up tables, with MPN (formerly Microgaming) and PartyPoker both offering anonymous tables. MPN rolled this out to ring-game tables in November 2011. Around the same time, Bodog infamously changed the entire network to anonymous-only.
PokerStars and its sibling Full Tilt, along with other major networks including 888poker, Revolution and Ongame, do not currently offer anonymous tables in any capacity.
Anonymity greatly reduces the effectiveness of tracking databases like Hold’em Manager and PokerTracker, as data from hands cannot be used to gain reads on opponents at future encounters. Proponents argue that it levels the playing field and reduces “predatory” practices.
Opponents argue that it prevents players from policing the games for collusion and other forms of cheating, and does nothing but reduce the potential skill edge between opponents.
Spreading both anonymous and regular tables across many stakes also faces the issue of spreading liquidity among more tables, which can negatively affect the poker room ecology.
