Cool marketing idea from poker software company

[Atown512]

In my search to increase my hourly rate from poker, I came across some poker software that I thought was using a creative strategy for marketing. What the software does is allow you to stack tables on top of each other and it will bring the active table to the front for you. This saves time for the poker player allowing you to play more tables and therefore more money.

Their marketing strategy is to offer a free trial to only micro stakes tables. I thought this was a pretty cool strategy. Their target market is obviously players at higher stakes who are looking for ways to increase output. It offers these players a no-risk way to try the software. At the same time, it can help the micro stakes players make more money, who will then be more than happy to buy the software once they can move up.

I think the key here is that once the software is developed, the unit cost is meaningless. They might as well get the software into the hands of as many players as possible while planting the seed with any "would be" users. Can anyone think of other examples where this strategy is being used or could be used?

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[MNentre]

Hey man,

Are you talking about ninja table or whatever it is called? I had bought that back in the day, when I was still able to play more seriously :/ BTW, how are you playing now? It looks like you're in Austin?

 

[Atown512]

Are you talking about ninja table or whatever it is called? I had bought that back in the day, when I was still able to play more seriously :/ BTW, how are you playing now? It looks like you're in Austin?

No I am not talking about TableNinja, but I do have that as well. The software is called Table of Interest. I moved to Costa Rica so that I could continue to play poker in the short term, but I can't wait to move back to Austin. As soon as I get something going that makes me more money than poker, I'll be on my way back.

 

[PatrickP]

I am curious aren't there software programs which play perfect poker for you?

I had a program that played perfect Black Jack for my group back 14 or 15 years ago.

I know poker is infinitely more complicated but I would think there would be a program for perfect poker by now.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[Atown512]

I am curious aren't there software programs which play perfect poker for you?

There are programs that ATTEMPT to do this, but you are correct that there are too many variables. First of all, PokerStars has a whole team of people trying to stop exactly this. PokerStars' software can usually detect if there are programs running in the background, and only a few approved programs are allowed to be running while you are playing.

If someone did have this software, you can bet your a$$ that they wouldn't want to share it, so I doubt there are many people using it even if it does exist. Finally, it would be incredibly complex. It would have to use a tracking software and in addition to a bunch of programmed "standard" plays, it would need to be able to "learn" and adjust to changes in all of these complex variables.

Due to the complexity of the game (more specifically No-Limit and Pot-limit variations) I don't think this is much of an issue at present. However, I do think that some of the simpler games like limit and short stack poker could be "solved"

 

[MNentre]

I am curious aren't there software programs which play perfect poker for you?

I had a program that played perfect Black Jack for my group back 14 or 15 years ago.

I know poker is infinitely more complicated but I would think there would be a program for perfect poker by now.

patrick,

Poker is a game of incomplete information. You need to be able to make decisions based on past results. This would make it nearly impossible for a bot to ever be able to play perfect poker. Although, they do have a lot of programs that will track and mine your every move. What also makes every decision much more difficult is the fact that you are playing another person because your decision would now be based on their decision and whether or not they are capable of making the most profitable play or not.

Whereas, in blackjack, there is always a perfect decision when playing the house. i.e. the house will always hit on 16 and stay on 20. In poker you have no idea how someone will play 22 on a 234 flop.

 

[Skys]

I am curious aren't there software programs which play perfect poker for you?

Pokerbots.
The people that use those, most of the time don't really care about playing perfect. They care about rakeback.
Rakeback is a % you get from the rake you pay as a player to play on a poker site.
At sites like IPOKER you can get under the table deals for 60% rakeback.
So, a pokerbot that grinds hours away multi tabling will generate lots of rakeback. Especially if you have a couple of bots running. You need to get your bot playing break even, or slightly losing to make money.

Most on-line poker (pro) players don't care about the bots, because they are highly predictable. Some sites don't care about the bots because the bots also generate rake.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[PatrickP]

How is poker compared to chess in possible moves/plays?

 

[theag]

I think its comparable in the sense that in both you have to think well in advance and try to figure out what your opponent is doing. But I'd say that chess has way more choices/moves/plays you have to make. On the other hand, in poker you're sometimes up against more than one opponent.

 

[Skys]

How is poker compared to chess in possible moves/plays?

Chess, I know little about chess compared to what I know about poker. I only played chess with my father and uncle. Chess is way more complicated. Way more. In poker, you actually only have 1 out of 4 decisions to make: Raise, fold, call or check. That is nothing compared to the moves chess has.

You need to think ahead in both games. Chess has no luck at all, poker has a lot of luck in the short run. The most difficult part about poker is the mental aspect of the game. So many psychological flaws (like seeing patterns when there are none, is a big one) get in the way of playing good poker.

Don't get me wrong. Poker is a complex game. Chess is just way more complex and poker is a walk in the park compared to playing high level chess. That's what I have heard from people good at both.

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

[Atown512]

In poker, you actually only have 1 out of 4 decisions to make: Raise, fold, call or check. That is nothing compared to the moves chess has.

While I obviously agree w/ your point that chess is more complicated than poker, you're definitely selling poker short here.

Yes the options are generally raise, fold, call, or check; however, in deep-stacked no limit you also have to choose from a wide range of bet sizes, account for effective stack depths (and corresponding inflection points), consider psychological and table dynamics (is my opponent tilting, tired, drunk, etc). You also have to consider your image and make an educated guess as to how you are being perceived by the rest of the table.

I've played poker professionally for the last 5-6 years and even after millions of hands, there are still at least a few hands a day that I really have to sit down and analyze after my session. There are just so many different player styles, table line-ups, and possible actions/board run outs. Chess is definitely more complicated, but poker is still very very complicated as well.

 

[JaySoriano]

TBH, I don't think it's the most profitable business model, I believe it's moreover a fellow poker player giving back to the poker community. The community likes to give back, that's why you see many players, even pros, answering questions about hands, etc. on poker forums.

 

[Skys]

While I obviously agree w/ your point that chess is more complicated than poker, you're definitely selling poker short here.

Yes the options are generally raise, fold, call, or check; however, in deep-stacked no limit you also have to choose from a wide range of bet sizes, account for effective stack depths (and corresponding inflection points), consider psychological and table dynamics (is my opponent tilting, tired, drunk, etc). You also have to consider your image and make an educated guess as to how you are being perceived by the rest of the table.

I've played poker professionally for the last 5-6 years and even after millions of hands, there are still at least a few hands a day that I really have to sit down and analyze after my session. There are just so many different player styles, table line-ups, and possible actions/board run outs. Chess is definitely more complicated, but poker is still very very complicated as well.

yes, that's true. obviously each option goes deeper the more skill you gain. ev calculations, fold equity, and all that jazz. sorry, I didn't mean to sell poker short

 

Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.