Another idea how pokersites could keep players interested

HesseJam · #1 09-15-2005, 08:48 AM

Well, even if a lot was said in recent posts about the coming downfall of poker I still think poker is continuing to grow for a while albeit at a declining rate.

However, competition among poker sites will also continue to grow, so it will be important for the bigger sites to retain players and not let them run off to new sites with better deals.

Player loyalty is very low in online poker and every customer has the greatest information tool at his fingertips while playing. If a new site comes up and injects a lot of money in marketing (ads, bonuses, rebates) they have a chance to become big quickly. It doesn't cost you anything more than 15 minutes of work to change sites and get a better deal. And more important, you do not lose anything if you leave a site. You do not lose value if you have been a long-term member of site and suddenly stop playing.

I am playing a lot a SnGs and noticed that some of the very good and known players put some considerate value on their tourney leader board ranking. I thought that this was odd, since I couldn't care less about that if I could make the same amount of money as they could. Or could I? Ithought about that for a while and remembered that I drew a lot of motivation for playing any computer game if there was some ranking involved and you could see where youself stood compared to the masses. Thus, I think, the sites should consider to rank players and to make this ranking visible at the tables.

Wait a minute, would I really like to make my ranking visible to other players at the table? How much difference would it make to my BB/100 rate if my ranking was at the top 10% or the low ranking 10%?

How about, if I could opt for the ranking to be displayed? How about, if I could get a bonus or rakeback if I opted to partake in the ranking?

Would you do this? How much would you ask for to do it? Would this be a motivation to continue playing/ playing more?

spamuell · #2 09-15-2005, 10:54 AM

I think there are a few problems with this.

The first is that the players with the highest rankings would be the ones earning gobs of money and if they could achieve any increase in earn by moving to another site, even a small percentage increase would actually be a large amount of money and they would move and not care about the leader board.

Secondly, lots of the biggest winners would probably not want it to be known just how well they were doing as this would deter people from trying to play with them, and possibly cause people to take shots at them just so they could be like, "I bluffed xxxx, that guy from the leader board" to all their chums. Not that this would necessarily be -EV if one adapted properly, but I can definitely envisage people being against the idea.

Thirdly, there's all the losers, when they suddenly realise that money is coming out of the game at quite a constant rate by these players, they might actually start realising it has to come from somewhere and start thinking more carefully about whether they're just stupid fish being fed off by winning players. It could certainly lead to them either quitting (bad for the site) or getting better (bad for us).

If you had a bottom 10%, this would basically just consistently eliminate about 9.5% of the players on your site every time you updated it.

Overall, I think it's a pretty bad idea.

Uglyowl · #3 09-15-2005, 03:26 PM

The premise is good that a motivational idea would be great, like the TLB, etc.

It would be nice if someone came up with an interesting one.

I do agree that a sign that says your a shark or fish is a bad idea for everyone.

Sometimes sites come up with ideas, but you need to play for 3 straight day non-stop and then still aren't guarenteed anything.

pretender2k · #4 09-15-2005, 04:36 PM

I would love to see the United States get this legalized. Once the B&M Casinos like Harrahs, etc. get into this business I think we will see some real improvement. These guys have been in the business for a lot longer that the internet has even been around and know how to keep customers.

solucky · #5 09-15-2005, 04:58 PM

guess a ranking is poison, gammon empire have it for backgammon and the most hate it. Loyalty is for me the Multibonus.....i dont see it as a bonus i see it as a good loyality-programm

Wake up CALL · #6 09-15-2005, 05:27 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Once the B&M Casinos like Harrahs, etc. get into this business I think we will see some real improvement.

[/ QUOTE ]

You must have never played poker at a Harrahs casino. There were better examples you could have chosen that would make your point more clearly.

pretender2k · #7 09-15-2005, 06:08 PM

Just used Harrahs because it was first to come to mind after watching WSOP.

#8 09-15-2005, 06:15 PM

[ QUOTE ]

Overall, I think it's a pretty bad idea.

[/ QUOTE ]

mmmmmbrother · #9 09-15-2005, 09:57 PM

winning players know that having a winning day doesnt matter.
losing players dont.

i think your idea may have some value, but it was put through the way you described it it would surely kill fish.

how about a daily leader board, and not by $$ but by BBs and tourney wins. thatway it adds a sense of fame for all the fish even at the lowest limits, and when you run g00t you will feel like a king.