Changing Online Poker Software for Live Players

I just returned home from playing in live tournaments in Reno for a week and had a great time, but I was really struck by how many players had never competed online. The majority of players I met had either never played online or had deposited once, lost their money quickly, and never returned.  When I realized how many poker players didn’t play online, I thought about what a huge untapped market there is out there for sites like PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker.

Why do I care whether these players ever join us in the online game, you ask? On average, they are very weak players. I think we can all agree that the online game is much tougher; the average online poker player is much stronger. If we can get new live players to hit the felts online, we can make some of that easier money.

Of course, we don’t want to talk a lot about how the online game is tougher when conversing with live game players. I won’t lie to them about it, but I tell a very specific truth about why I play online. The money is better because I can play more tables and more hands per hour. I pay a lot less rake and no dealer tips. I can keep track of my play through programs like PokerTracker and Holdem Manager. In addition, I can play a huge selection of games. I don’t mention how the online game is tougher because I don’t want to scare these people away.

If I were going to get these players to play online, I had to find out why they weren’t doing so already. The number of players who just think being able to “look at a guy” is a hugely important part of the game was surprising. None of the people who gave this as a reason had ever read Joe Navarro’s "Read 'Em and Weep," any of Paul Eckman’s literature, or studied tells in any way. After watching these people play, it was obvious that most of them had no idea how to read an opponent, but they thought it was important.

I also found that many of them thought online poker was rigged or they just didn’t trust it. I’m on record for years now talking about how the sites have a vested interest in offering legitimate games and fair play. Most thinking players figure that out right away, but we aren’t talking about thinking players here. Thinking players know that poker software can expose cheaters, similar to what occurred in uncovering the scandal on Absolute Poker.

I think that online poker rooms are really missing out on players they could be signing up. Just making a few key changes might get a much larger percentage of these live players to head online. If any of you poker room owners are listening, I have a few suggestions:

1. Make the online poker rooms look and feel more like live poker. The really good players, the sharks, will go wherever the money is, but the less experienced players will go places that are comfortable for them. They like the romantic idea of poker and the Old West attitude. A few interesting graphics are not going to bring these people in. Give them a real interface or hire a real video game design company. Do something to make online poker an experience instead of a two-dimensional rectangle table with names and dollar amounts on it.

2. Get the game to the players and show it to them. Once you get the games looking good, take them to where the players are. I talked to a lot of people this week that had never even seen online poker. Can you imagine that? Go to live tournaments and card rooms and show off the product. You can find new customers by the thousands.

3. Make everything easy and automatic for people who are not familiar with the internet. Many of these players are simply not computer people, but that doesn’t mean they won’t play poker online. I’m not a casino person, but I go there to play poker if the games are good. If everything is very simple and smooth, people who see the new and interesting product you have to offer will actually sit down, deposit money, and play. One stumbling block to slow them down and they won’t end up at my table enjoying themselves.

4. Control the games. Those of us who play online every day have already become used to the fact that people will find ways to swear at us, wish cancer upon us, and generally be terribly unpleasant. If you don’t allow this behavior and instead create a welcoming atmosphere for the new players, they will stick around. Don’t let a few bad apples chase away a bunch of great new customers. If you ban the chat of the bad apples aggressively, you’ll find that they don’t leave; they keep playing and shut up.

There you have it: four simple things that might cost a few bucks, but would certainly bring more people into the game and bring us some fresh blood. I’m tired of trading blinds with the same sharks and I know they’re tired of me.