New PokerStars Data Policy

[linuxrocks]

I really like this policy. The most berating comes from players who are marginal winners and will start berating fish quoting their stats. Heh, you can't even beat 3$ SNGs, what are you doing in 20 dollar tourney? Seriously, we don't need that. I see this in almost every tourney I played even in SNGs. I also think that there should be an option from every site for the players to opt out. Since there isn't one, PS mandating the policy is awesome. I don't want the whales to know that this is my first million dollar tourney. It's ridiculous to compare Hendon mob database with Pokerdb kind of sites. Pokerdb has many stats including ROI, average profit, longest cash streak etc. That's some thing that shouldn't be available IMO unless the user opts in.

[RoyalCrap]

I think the various tracking sites should provide an additional option for players to view their own stats without allowing others to view their stats. Like one of the stat collectors said, many players use the tracking sites to view their own stats.

RC

[SmokeyRidesAgain]

I quite like having a [censored] sharkscope so stupid people look at it and underestimate my cash grinding skills.

Almost every week some dumbass will tell me I'm $xx down and I have to point out that sharkscope is not cash games and then they are like waaaaah and then I know they are [censored] stupid.

[FortunaMaximus]

Are you happy, Natalie? I'll keep the plyon Playing on.

[img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] Forever and so much more than that.

K. Of course, the Witchin' halvers. Triple purple.

I run on pure lovehate. So does Darren. That lucky cigarette, Clarkson clocks.

I mean...

Keep the loonie, Walt, you've got the bart. and I just...

I am the zerocount. I flatline Dixie and tweet whistles baby stew.

Of course. I just.. want to build what Arthur wanted precursor. I'm curious. We're tripblexal.

For we promise y'all what y'all want. But we accelerate the Shaun suns.

I mean, brah, I love that shephard sheppards into the underground grocery.

I read. I... I'm finally happy, y'all. So is she. So is the Kobe.

Just... You know what I mean, doublestones. pawnin' the flint and...

Trust in us, Terra. It's fun. It ain't always for us, but we drama our dreams and we always, always, always make sure. Every time. And we want to walk.

[Tuff_Fish]

[ QUOTE ]
Hello,

Just by way of a quick introduction I am StephenW, the Senior Manager of Game Security here at PokerStars. I want to comment on our new data policy and the reasoning behind it.

We receive feedback from our players through many different channels; public forums are just one of these. Perhaps the most important feedback that PokerStars receives is from players who contact our Support department.

Judging by the emails we are receiving in Support, the sites that are likely to be affected by this new policy represent a significant privacy concern to our customers, especially among new players. Over time, the mail to Support with complaints and concerns regarding these sites has increased from a trickle to a flood that shows no sign of abating.

Players are not only worried that their opponents know their ROI / profitability, but they often (incorrectly) believe that PokerStars is providing their personal information to the sites in question. This undermines the trust that we work hard to build. Privacy issues already represent a hurdle to overcome when trying to attract new people to internet poker, and PokerStars needs to show that it takes these issues seriously.

It is worth underlining at this point that the sites in question are collecting data without the express permission of PokerStars or the players themselves. Unlike many brick and mortar poker rooms, we do not ask our players to agree to any terms waiving their right to privacy when they enter a PokerStars Tournament.

It’s our opinion that players should have a choice as to what data is held on them and how that data is used. On one side of this debate we have numerous players who are not happy for their private data (such as ROI) to be made public, and on the other we have some who are happy to allow it. Therefore, when devising a policy to deal with these concerns from our players, we thought it was important to build in a choice.

According to our new policy, players who are happy to have any data or statistics displayed about them (including ROI) can opt-in to a service. Those who have no objection to their cashes being displayed (but not more detailed statistics) need do nothing. Those players who wish to have no information shared about them whatsoever can opt-out.

We have also considered technical solutions to this issue. However, we did not want to unduly encroach upon the functionality of the client or other third party programs. The massive majority of our users do not collect data for games in which they are not a participant; affecting their game-play with a software solution is not a preferred alternative. If the services affected by this new policy choose to ignore it, then we may be compelled to go the technical route.

All the Best,

Stephen W.
Senior Manager, PokerStars Game Security.

[/ QUOTE ]

Good hand sir. Now get rid of multitabling. Within 6 months you would be making MORE money than now.

Why?

Multitablers are tight. Most of your low and medium stakes tables are nitfests. Tight tables don't generate as much rake.

People like me would play more. On any number of occasions I have tried to play for a couple of hours on PokerStars only to find I could not find a poker game. All I found were grinders being slow to act and mostly folding. Give me good fast paced games and I will play a lot more.

You would make a lot more per table. Multitablers slow the action down something fierce. You would easily get twice as many hands per table per hour. And with the full rake collected a much higher percentage of the time. And, you would soon have more tables running than any of your competitors.

The rec players would last a lot longer and eventually give all their money to YOU instead of being fleeced immediately by the grinder pros who then post on 2+2 about how much (of your) money they spend on great toys.

Give it some thought.

Tuff

[Perplexity]

Twice as many hands per hour is a ridiculous exaggeration.

[Tuff_Fish]

[ QUOTE ]
Twice as many hands per hour is a ridiculous exaggeration.

[/ QUOTE ]

PS: Don't listen to the grinder nits around here. All they are interested in is someone providing them a fish farm.

How about doing an experiment. Have some tables that are restricted to single table players. These could be tournament and cash tables. If someone is logged onto any other poker sites, or is seated at any other PokerStars tables, their hands are automatically and immediately folded.

Just try that out and see how it works. [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

Tuff

[RPatterson67]

When does it go down? And I was gonna make both leaderboards for the 27's sigh.

[whitcolumn]

[ QUOTE ]
Twice as many hands per hour is a retarded exaggeration.

[/ QUOTE ]

[Mcbrag]

There are 2 points of view on this and I think Stars has chosen the correct one. There is the professional "shark" point of view, where they are there to make as much money as they can as quickly as possible. And there is the casual player's "fish" point of view where they are there to enjoy the game and/or the company and are willing to lose "x" amount of dollars doing so or maybe even make a little bit. It was not too long ago that poker was not offered in most b+m casinos because there wasn't that big an attraction to casual gamblers. They always felt there was an 'old boys' feel to the games and there was a chance they would get fleeced by the pros. The boom happened (thank you ESPN and online poker) because people thought they knew how to play the game now and were able to play anonymously online instead of embarrassing themselves in a live situation. Most of the people who visit this site consider themselves sharks not fish and therefore are unable or unwilling to see the development of certain software and 3rd party database sites from the casual player's point of view.

The shark point of view is that the information and software is readily available to everyone who is willing to pay for it, so it is the casual player's fault for not paying for these services themselves.

The casual player's point of view is that they are no longer equipped to play the game against the sharks. They cannot just show up and start playing at any limit other than the penny games without there being at least 3 pros at the table. They are unwilling or unable to justify paying for the services out there because they only play a few hours a week/month. The services are not worth it to them.

I think a good analogy would be finding out about a daily pickup football game where all comers are welcome and showing up wearing your t-shirt/sweatpants/running shoes and looking around the field where half the players are dressed like you, but the other half are wearing helmets, shoulderpads and cleats while being coached by a guy carrying around a clipboard and cunsulting scouts sitting in the stands. It wouldn't take long for the guys wearing sweats to figure out they couldn't compete so they would find something else to do with their time.

The same thing is happening in online poker right now. There is very little influx of new players (especially from the USA). There is contraction going on in the number of online poker sites. And, it seems to me, there is contraction going on in the traffic at most of the remaining individual sites. The perception of the casual player is that they are no longer equipped to compete online and they are correct. I find it interesting that many of the "sharks" (including myself) that were competing at 5/10 and 10/20 full ring limit last year at this time are now having to play 3/6, 2/4 and 1/2 in order to find games they can beat now. I think the limiting of 3rd party databases (which I do not use) is a great thing and I think the limiting of pokertracker (which I do use) would be even better for the long term survival of the game.

I can't believe so many of you 2+2er's are so insecure in your game that you don't think you would be able to compete any longer on a level playing field. Maybe you can't.