Major changes to iPoker cash games announced

"iPoker network will improve overall cash game liquidity by removing a number of their less popular cash game variants"

So I can become a doctor.

I will improve your right eye by removing your left eye.

To be fair, nothing would improve iPoker games more than removing them. To continue the medical analogy, it would be like amputating a gangrenous limb.

Removing PLO full ring tables, to short handed tables, stinks of yet another rake grab. Although I agree the cash game lobby as it stands is cluttered with too many variants and currency options. I think ipoker should scap all 6-max and 9-man tables, and introduce 8-man tables only, at just one currency.

Originally posted by arthurbentley
Removing PLO full ring tables, to short handed tables, stinks of yet another rake grab. Although I agree the cash game lobby as it stands is cluttered with too many variants and currency options. I think ipoker should scap all 6-max and 9-man tables, and introduce 8-man tables only, at just one currency.

Worst idea I've ever heard in the history of anything ever.

Full ring PLO is an atrocious experience.

I wasn't talking about PLO tables. I was talking about NL tables. Give your brain a rinse. Read:

"I think ipoker should scap all 6-max and 9-man tables, and introduce 8-man tables only, at just one currency."

I hope that clears things up for you. Also, I'd sooner come up with the worse idea ever than to have no ideas at all!!

I was making two separate points. First, that full ring PLO is awful. Second, that this:

Originally posted by arthurbentley
"I think ipoker should scap all 6-max and 9-man tables, and introduce 8-man tables only, at just one currency."

is the worst idea in the history of everything ever.

Full ring PLO is boring but more profitable in winrate per round (not hourly) / risk of ruin terms - there are more loose-passive players there than in 6-max. However, I don't think ante tables were that bad, even with the 100 bb max BI; I guess the network is removing them to slow down the extinction of recreational players and encourage them to stay for longer and deposit more in the long run, which will hurts regs' bottom line in the short run but make their profit source more sustainable.

The problem with ipoker at the micros is that the games are very nitty, and the rake is also sky high, and short handed tables cost more in rake to play. Now I know I can still beat the short handed games but why bother? For example, why spend playing thousands of hands playing short handed games at ipoker, at a win rate of say 6bb/100. When I can, and I do, make a 20bb winrate at 4NL full ring elsewhere? You get my drift?

If there is one thing I have learned about poker is that a player should find the most profitable tables to play at. These tables are not at ipoker. At least not at the short handed micro tables.

As for 8-handed tables being the worse idea ever. Again, do you want to be raped by the rake playing five/four handed? Which happens a lot with players sitting out at 6-max.

I believe the owner of Dusk Till Dawn site has gone 8 table only. Or that was what he was proposing to do.

Giving players less choices is supposed to be good now?

I agree that more choice is generally a good thing, as opposed to less choice and monopoly. But Pokerstars is able to offer a diverse range of formats because of their player liquidity. ipoker has no such liquidity, hence the moaning from players like me that want to play full ring cash game, but can't because these games hardly run anymore.

Hopefully, these changes will kick start the full ring tables. If not, it's goodbye from me, and a few others I suspect.

Hey guys,

Thank you for keeping your feedback constructive.
We will make sure it will go to the people responsible for the iPoker network.

Best,
Kamen

While we're at it, could we also inform them about the current Speed Poker issues (as discussed here)? It seems like this problem has been largely ignored so far.

It's quite frustrating to sit at a table with a crippled 60 BB stack and no opportunity to reload, because it allegedly "exceeds the table maximum".

update at speed poker problem

after a week with silence from support at ladbrokes regarding this matter i got Email from ladbrokes confirming there is a problem at speed poker tables and that ipoker working on this problem, was also offered a goodwill compensation from Ladbrokes and can only say good thing how support at ladbrokes handled this matter, i am afraid i cant say same at other ipoker skin that when contacted them basically said its all my fault since i have a weak internet, no more comment,,,

Hey rompas, that's good news and a nice little bonus for your trouble, well done Ladbrokes!

Regards,

Mal.

Since iPoker is open to constructive criticism, hope I can help.

For someone to want to play on iPoker instead of PokerStars there has to be some appeal. If a site is worse in literally every way then there is no logical reason to play there.

At iPoker

The software is far worse in both design and functionality.
The rake is significantly higher.
The traffic is lower.

With this in mind why would anyone play at iPoker if they could play at PokerStars? Frankly, I am amazed that anyone still does.

I am not saying that iPoker is beyond being usable to play poker on or anything, only that it is vastly inferior to its competitor, and the online poker market is competitive, in my opinion there really needs to be some major changes for players to see iPoker as desirable to play at when PokerStars etc. is an option.

This could very easily be fixed by a few things:

Surely it is not that hard to get a graphic designer to at least make the lobby and tables look nice...Maybe even some options to customize as well???

Rake. What about using advertising to pay the price that rake usually would? Let advertisers put their logos on tables, name tournaments after their product? And get rid of rake altogether. Imagine how many grinders you guys would get coming over from stars to play rake free poker???

I personally hate that PokerStars has a stranglehold on online poker, they are basically a monopoly and that's not right. But when every other poker site is just worse on every level and doesn't even seem to try to improve things that really matter??? It's not hard for me to see why Stars has monopolized so easily...

/rant.

Nailed it - literally the only reason I play at iPoker is because I'm not allowed to play on Stars or Tilt.

Originally posted by metza
Why would anyone play at iPoker if they could play at PokerStars? Frankly, I am amazed that anyone still does.

Because most people already had a Pokerstars account when they found Pokerstrategy and more than half of our partner rooms are part of the iPoker network. Most of their rooms also offer the best conversion rate for StrategyPoints.