Partypoker Will Test Using Real Names In August For High Stakes Cash Games
Partypoker keeps introducing changes to the ecosystem, with the online poker room announcing it will require the use of real names in some high stakes cash games starting next month.
The change, which will be used on a trial basis in August, seemed to be popular with the majority of those who responded to a poll posted by Partypoker partner Rob Yong on Twitter over the weekend.
As of Tuesday afternoon, the poll has received just under 6,000 votes, with 67 percent of respondents voting that this change would be a good idea. 16 percent were quick to disagree, while 18 percent said that they would not care either way.
In follow-up tweets, Yong pointed out that the real names would be seen by only the players at the table, with the possible exception of some special events.
While the overall reaction in the poll was mainly positive, many individual raised some serious questions over the use of real names in online poker.
Some serious concerns were pointed out, regarding questions of harassment and swatting, with women in particular being worried that such change might negatively affect their safety when playing online.
The idea, for now, is that the real names would only be used in a limited number of high stakes cash games. Naturally, this idea caused less controversy than a potential wider implementation in the future.
While only players at a table would have access to the real names of their opponents, one exception to this rule has already been mentioned.
According to Yong, the relaunched Trickett’s Room will feature cash games ranging from 25/50 to 250/500, and will only be open to professionals and other VIPs who have been personally approved by Yong himself. All games would be subject to “dedicated game integrity checks” and “agreed etiquette rules.”
However, normal rules will apply for the regular games. Yong has also mentioned a monthly “Big Game” that would be streamed with commentary, where invited players would be playing under their real names for those streams.
