The iPoker Network is implementing a new rake distribution model. Although no official announcement has been made, the algorithm posted at PokerUpdate.com (reposted below) is very telling of the direction they are taking their poker room.
Looking at the algorithm it seems as though they are mirroring Ongame’s Essence rake distribution model. From an operator’s perspective, Essence is the second best rake distribution model in the industry with “no rake back” being the gold standard.
There is no confirmation that iPoker will in fact implement these changes but the rumours floating around is that players will see the new scheme in action early in the new year but players can commence complaining about it immediately.
At the popular twoplustwo poker forum, some posters let their feelings loose with a simple “FU iPoker”, talking up PokerStars or simply saying good-bye to the iPoker Network but others weren’t so quick to slam the move.
Long time 2+2 poster DoGGz took a level headed approach to the news, posting, “This is bad for 24 tabling rake back grinders but not so bad for the general population. I think these types of moves are great for (a) networks long term viability, and it’s surprising they (have) finally figured out that guys beating the games for 100k+ a year don’t help the company as much as they appear they do.”
With that simple post, DoGGz summed up the main reason poker companies are beginning to follow the Bodog Poker Networks lead in promoting a recreation poker model. Poker companies are starting to wise up to the fact that it’s the net depositors (fish), who do more for the long-term health and prosperity of the poker ecosystem.
One other aspect of changing their rake back distribution model to something that favours recreational play is that it should allow iPoker to eliminate the fines they would assess to network skins that attracted too many withdrawing players. The previous system of fining skins would go as far as asking skins to ban winning players. That wasn’t a smart approach to their problem but the rumoured switch to an Essence like rake back model should help in that regard.
We’d like to congratulate iPoker for making the right move to a fairer system and one that’s good for the overall ecosystem of their poker network. Now if they can only do something about the rampant bot use on their iPoker network.
iPoker’s new rake back algorithm (according to PokerUpdate.com)
Player’s Score = (Contribution Percentile * Contribution Weight) + (Income Ratio Percentile * Income Ratio Weight)
Score Ratio = (Player’s Score) / (Sum of Scores),
Adjusted Player Rake = (Original Player Rake) * (1 – Adjusted Rake Weight) + Score Ratio * Game Rake * Adjusted Rake Weight
Contribution Percentile is between 1 and 100, where top positive contribution receives a score of 100 and lowest receives a score of 1.
Contribution Weight is a percentile to adjust the Total contribution of the player.
Income Ratio Weight is a percentile to adjust the Total Income of the player.
Income Ratio Percentile – calculation for positive and negative contributors is done separately. Here positive and negative is used in the sense of players contributing positive or negative in favour of the licensees. Total Contribution = Total Wins – Total Bets + Total Rake
Sum of Scores is calculated from all players’ score, whose rake contribution is > 0, i.e. the player with Original Player Rake > 0.
Original Player Rake is the player contribution rake according to the distribution method.
Game Rake is the total rake in the hand.
Adjusted Rake Weight is the rake percentage to be adjusted.
