The Microgaming Poker Network (MPN) has made a concerted effort to try to make its tables friendly for casual players this year. The latest move: an experiment in which players will be required to buy-in for the exact same amount at certain cash game tables.
In a recent blog post, Microgaming’s Head of Poker Alex Scott announced the experiment, which will begin on December 1st on the network’s Omaha Hi/Low ring tables. At these tables, players will be forced to buy-in for exactly 100 big blinds, no more, no less. If the experiment proves a success, the restrictions will spread to other tables.
But why the fiddling? It sounds like it is mainly to thwart those who use the “short stacking” strategy. Some players purposely buy-in for the minimum, typically 30 big blinds, in cash games. Those who implement the strategy well can frustrate their opponents, as they are generally in “all-in or fold” mode pre-flop because by the time they raise, they might as well be all-in with a short stack. This, of course, removes post-flop decision making, something skilled players bank on. Additionally, when a full stack player gets involved in a hand with a short stacker, the full stacker will not have the chance to get paid off in full for big hands.
Short stacking is legal, but is generally frowned upon as many feel it goes against the spirt of the game.
There’s another reason for the experiment, though, and that is what appears to be an effort to help everybody win more. Alex Scott and the staff at MPN sifted through more than two million real money hands, looking at the difference between players who bought in the minimum 30 big blinds and those who bought in for the maximum 100 big blinds. After getting rid of certain samples that would have skewed the results, they found that 47 percent of the players who buy-in for 100 big blinds are net winners after rake, whereas just 44 percent of those who buy-in for the minimum are net winners. Additionally 100 big blind players make up 82 percent of the cash game population but win 92 percent of the money. Compare that to 11 percent of the population for 30 big blinds players, who only win 4 percent of the money.
Another piece of evidence that convinced MPN that 100 big blinds players did better was that when the Grouped Lobby was introduced in April, some players who normally bought in for 30 big blinds started buying-in for 100 and vice versa. Those who switched to the max buy-in did better on average than they did before, whereas those who switched to the min buy-in did worse.
As such, MPN wants to see if forcing everyone to buy-in for 100 big blinds will actually help more people win. As was already noted, this change will be made on December 1st, only at the Omaha Hi/Lo cash game tables. Alex Scott is hoping that win rates will increase and also feels that players will start managing their bankrolls better, as they will naturally have more at risk at the table.
