The online poker sites continue to take steps to remove poker HUDs. Whilst some of the major sites like Pokerstars continue to permit them, most are banning their use. Why? Simple. The online poker sites are concerned that social players lose money quickly and don’t return. The gap between the beginner and expert, even at lower stakes is quite large when you throw in poker tracking software. In this post I’m going to share some reasons why the banning of HUDs is a good thing for the poker community.
We Want Fishes to Play
Poker players make most of their money from bad players. The fishes are not using poker tracking software, a poker excel spreadsheet or any other useful tools when the play. They fire up a session and just play. If poker sites permit the use of HUDs, the fishes will eventually stop coming. We want them to play with us, so if it means reducing our edge a little, so be it.
Make the Regs Work
It’s all getting a bit easy for the regulars with their software. They can multi-table easily, use game selection and generate their rakeback at ease. By removing the HUDs, we are going back a little bit. It’s bringing back poker to a more personal level. This will make the regs have to work harder, watch the table and pay attention. Poker is a different game when you don’t have VPIP stats in front of you. You actually have to watch what is going on and react based on your perception and intuition. This is a brilliant thing for all involved.
Online Poker Will Be More Fun
The prohibition of poker HUDs is surely going to make poker tables more fun. Players will be more “human”. They will be playing on emotion and perception and not using the stats to influence their decisions. The result of this should mean more action, more bluffs and more fun. At its core, poker should be a fun past-time that everyone loves. By taking out the robotic assistance many professionals have, it will make the game livelier and more pleasurable.
Mobile Poker is Better for It
Many players are turning to their phones to play online poker. This put them at a disadvantage to the reg who is 8 tabling on a desktop with their HUD up. Without a HUD to help decisions, they’re now on a level field with those who play on mobile. This is great as it means everyone can play on their phones without worrying, they are at a technical disadvantage.