Hold’em Manager Management Hits Out at Partypoker Over Hand History Hoo-Hah

Kaycee James

2 years ago

A recent announcement from Partypoker has divided the community and prompted one of the leading tracking software providers to speak up.

Hold’em Manager owner MVS has hit out at Partypoker for its proposed ban on tracking software. (Image: Hold’em Manager)

With a June 17 update set to remove old hand histories and potentially outlaw stats tracking, Max Value Software (MVS) LLC has hit back.

As the owner of PokerTracker and Hold’em Manager, the company will be worst hit and naturally wants to protect its business interests.

However, Partypoker believes banning heads up display (HUDs) will make its site less predatory.

Hand Tracking Divides Opinion

By removing a player’s ability to track stats in real-time, the idea is to create a level playing field for novices and pros.

However, MVS representatives see it as a misguided decision. Airing its grievances on 2+2, MVS said hand histories allow players and third-party operators to verify the integrity of a site.

“With the removal of hand histories, partypoker is effectively asking their players to trust us but do not verify,” reads the June 10 post.

Although MVS has its own agenda, it has suggested Partypoker will be less safe when HUDs are banned.

Linking to the site’s recent war on poker bots, the company states that hand history databases are one of the best ways to identify cheats.

In the past, such technology has been used to catch high-profile cheats. The infamous Potripper scandal on Absolute Poker was exposed because players recorded the account’s almost impossible results.

In fact, Partypoker players have also used hand databases to catch colluders. Back in 2017, DukeOfSuffolk noticed suspicious play from eight accounts during a weekly high stakes tournament.

Using his own observations in tandem with tracking stats, he uncovered another case of collusion.

Partypoker Doing It for Players

Without the use of tracking software, these busts may not have been possible. However, in an era when online poker sites are trying to appeal to casuals, some level of parity is paramount.

Those who don’t use HUDs often feel as though they’re at a disadvantage or, even worse, are being cheated. While the latter may not be true, it’s this perception that some is hurting online poker.

As part of its evolution, Partypoker wants to eliminate these issues by suggesting a ban all forms of tracking software. This, however, may be at the cost of upsetting established grinders.