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Microgaming Attempts to End Data-Mining, Stops Storage of Hand Histories

In a move that appears to be a first for an online poker site or network, Microgaming announced that it would no longer allow poker players to save their own hand histories.

The move is an attempt to stop datamining by players at the site. Nearly all poker sites allow players to save their hand histories and review them at a later date, or download them into a third-party software that allows for analysis of other players. Sites such as 32RedPoker and PurpleLounge.com are members of the Microgaming Network, which is one of the top-10 poker networks in terms of traffic, according to PokerScout.com.

Andrew Clucas, Head of Poker at Microgaming Software Systems, said this in a release about the move:

Concern has been rising over the long-term effect of third party software upon the poker industry as a whole, and in particular the negative effect it has on the recreational player demographic. The decision to put a stop to the practice of datamining on the Poker Network is part of Microgaming’s overarching network strategy to support operators in attracting and retaining recreational players. It further demonstrates commitment in providing a secure and fair playing environment.

The move is the second groundbreaking move for Microgaming this year. Recently, the company announced that its sites were changing how rake is calculated, moving to a “weighted contribution” method in which the amount a player contributed to a pot determines how much rake that player paid.

Both moves are designed to take an advantage away from winning, non-recreational players and level the playing field for casual or recreational players.

Although Microgaming is a fairly large site, it does not rival the largest poker sites on the internet. The news becomes more relevant if this is the start of a trend at the larger sites that serve the poker community. It will be interesting to see if other sites make similar moves in the near future, or if this is simply the story of one network bucking standard operating procedure.

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