Thread: Bodog to Block Data Mining Sites

Extract from pokernewsdaily.com:
In a move designed to bring the fun back to online poker, Bodog announced on Wednesday that it would start making every attempt to block data mining sites from accessing its online poker room. The site will be implementing a system that will block sites like SharkScope, PokerTableRatings, Poker Site Scout, and PokerDB “that mainly serve professional players.”

“These poker operator information portals are another example of how online poker is assisting in its own demise,” said Bodog representative Patrik Selin in a press release. “I have commented previously on how the operators are doing this to themselves with hand histories, HUDs, and rakeback, all of which we will be cutting out. The next tier in the process is the operator information sites.”

Data mining was introduced years ago as a way for players to track information about opponents through the use of hand histories. The practice quickly caught on and has become a necessity for some players in the increasingly tough games of recent years. By being able to analyze hand histories with statistics, players can better utilize their game selection and make optimal decisions based on information they wouldn’t normally have on an opponent.

Sites like PokerStars and Full Tilt made efforts to limit the use of tracking sites in recent years. While most sites have a list of banned programs in their Terms of Service, plenty of data mining sites have remained in business.

Now, Bodog is aggressively putting its foot down.

“Nobody who is playing poker for fun visits these sites or probably even knows they exist,” Selin added. “They primarily exist to serve the needs of the professional players and therefore we will be implementing online protection against these sites to further aid the crucial leisure poker player.”