The iPoker Network joins Bodog and others in offering anonymous tables at some of its selected skins and at varying stakes. It's said that this will improve the overall ecology of the network and again just like Bodog have said that it means smaller players won't get beaten so regularly by the sharks out there. Players can find the tables at certain levels by playing at Titan Poker, with Betfair and Betclic Everest joining in soon. The plan is to have all skins on board as soon as possible. Asaf Younger operations manager at iPoker states that, "We offer these tables where we believe it serves the purpose we have defined for them, to allow our players to play freely without having to worry about being tracked or 'targeted' by others." They are pretty confident that it will be a success but is asking players for feedback, via forums and skins support.
This all comes after last years switch to a two tier system in which player pools became ring fenced at the upper tier at certain levels and various games. The thinking behind that was it would increase a players life expectancy at the tables and the anonymous table take that a step further. Players at the anonymous tables will simply be called 'player 1', player 2' etc and there's a few voices already saying that by doing this some of the interactive and social side of the game is being taken away. It's reckoned that the bigger players who use tracking software, take time to study hand history and learn about the other players may eventually drive the recreation players away from the game. The upside is that all players have a choice, they don't have to play at the anonymous tables and they also have a choice in how to play the game, i.e they too could track players hand history and study a little more. There's mixed opinions about all of this at the moment, sure the bigger players won't like it and the reverse effect of this could be that if all small players move to the anonymous tables then the shark will have to go find his lunch somewhere else.
