Players are now prevented from observing most ring games or seeing how many tables are running, as only tables that have open seats available are now shown. Players are also no longer able to join waiting lists. Bodog Poker Network Vice President Jonas Odman explained the importance of protecting its casual players.
“It is vital for the online poker industry that the depositing players are put first rather than the high raking professionals who rarely, if ever, add new money to the pot. This is the first in a long line of steps that will make Bodog’s Recreational Poker Model the best place for the casual player to enjoy the game again. Later in the year we will have some additional features that we will roll out along with the new software which we are confident will make the playability of the site one of the best in the industry.”
PokerScout, a site that tracks overall site activity, seemed to take exception to Bodog’s actions and responded Monday:
“Despite Bodog’s assertions, PokerScout does not give any advantage to some players at the expense of others. Unlike some other websites, we do not track or publish individual player statistics. Many of our readers treat PokerScout as an industry scorecard, showing where the sites rank relative to each other and who is outperforming whom. Other readers drill down into more detail to see what games and limits are popular at the various sites. The data is available freely to everyone, and none of it gives any particular advantage to winning players. Bodog is the only operator to suggest that it does.”
PokerScout plans to continue to publishing data of Bodog’s traffic. The site will make projections “based on a combination of available data and known traffic patterns.”
