Microgaming spurs operators to bring in the fish

Microgaming is to introduce changes to its poker network aimed at increasing incentives to licensees to bring in more casual, depositing players, or “fish”.

The Microgaming Poker Network (MPN) will on 5 January move from the contributed method of rake calculation, where operators’ rake is calculated by splitting pots between the total number of players, to the weighted method, whereby rake per room is generated proportionally according to the amount individual players contribute to each pot.

The MPN’s move follows those of Boss Media’s International Poker Network (IPN) and the Bodog Network aimed at rewarding rooms for bringing in greater numbers of casual, often losing players, or “fish”, needed for the sustainable growth of poker rooms and networks.

Dominik Kofert of poker affiliate and community site PokerStrategy.com said that while Microgaming’s measures do not go as far as those on Bodog and Boss, the latter introducing fines for rooms once their payouts exceed stakes by more than 99.8%, Microgaming’s policy change will increase the value for network sites of acquiring loose, “fishy” players, who contribute high levels of rake, over “tight” players.

“An educated guess would be that tight players, who are often sharks, could be worth 20% less in relative terms and fishy players could be worth 20% more. So the change does help to tweak the fish/shark incentives a little,” said Kofert.

When contacted by EGRMagazine.com, Microgaming declined to comment “due to time constraints.”