Recently we introduced the anonymous heads-up tables in the partypoker client and we asked our Team partyoker pros their opinion on how they see anonymous poker.
Bodo Sbrzesny: Often in online poker you see heads-up tables with only one player on it because everybody has too much respect to play against the player. With the hidden names there should be more action!
Tyron Krost: For beginners or new online players it makes it much harder for the sharks to find them and also stops them from being targeted by those players that use the online database sites.
For more serious players it’s going to bring many more players into the regular games as those that are new to online poker will be able to shield their identity and be able to get confident in the online games before taking the step over to regular games and higher limits.
Greater focus on what’s going on at the table
Kara Scott: Playing anonymously will definitely make it more important to be very aware of your opponents’ actions and then be flexible enough to adjust quickly rather than working off of your previous notes on a player’s style.
It’s good to exercise those muscles and will certainly demand a greater focus on what’s actually going on in front of you at the table, rather than playing people who’s game you know inside out.
On the other hand though, it takes away your ability to game select. Nobody should really be choosing to sit down and play Heads Up with the best players at their stakes. Because everyone is wearing the mask of anonymity, those great players will certainly be able to get more action than before.
This is great for these fantastic HU players but maybe not so good for the players who will find themselves playing poker against people they wouldn’t have consciously chosen to before.
Tyron Krost: I think it will give all players the opportunity to go and try some new styles out and a few different approaches that they otherwise might not have.
The most important strategy adjustment I think would be to be able to send a false message that you’re a bad player while still playing well. Without the tracking sites this becomes infinitely more important and profitable.
Bodo Sbrzesny: A disadvantage could be that you lose your reads if you play against player for the next session, but this could also be an advantage of course.
Kara Scott: This makes it even more important to make sure that you’re playing at the right stakes for your bankroll and always with money that you can afford to lose.
