PocketFives used to be the equivalent of The Hendon Mob for online poker players. The site kept track of online poker tournament results, similar to what The Hendon Mob does for live tournaments.
At the end of 2022, PocketFives rebranded as PokerStake, but the online rankings remained.
That was until last week when the site removed the historical database for online poker tournaments. Word has surfaced that GGPoker owns PokerStake, and some think the new WSOP owner is at least partially behind the move.
According to a company representative, a new database is being created to combine online and live poker tournament earnings.
Key Highlights
- PokerStake removes database with over 15 years of online poker tournament history.
- Removal blamed on GGPoker, which is looking to make PokerStake its primary staking arm.
- Players want to see the database restored as it helps to keep grinders motivated.
PokerStake Removes Historical Hand Rankings
Last week, many people logged onto the PokerStake website and discovered that the historical database for online poker tournaments had been removed.
The database was initially launched in 2005 when PocketFives started tracking online tournament stats.
For the last 15 years, online poker players have been able to track their stats, and the database has been the only way to determine the all-time leaders in online poker tournaments.
My parents were scared/skeptical when I went pro, but seeing I made the top 100 in the rankings helped change their minds. They were a fun way to compete with the online community, hope they’re brought back.
– Tony Dunst
To say that players are not happy with the change is an understatement. Chris Moorman took to X to share his frustrations last week, stating, “So @pokerstakecom removed all of the online rankings last week. They have been a big part of my motivation to grind since I became an MTT pro back in 2006. Please retweet and comment to raise awareness and get them reinstated. We can’t let Pocketfives.com die like this!”
When people asked why the decision to remove the database was made, Moorman pointed to the sites associated with GGPoker. It was later revealed that GGPoker is not just affiliated with the site but actually owns PokerStake.
Poker pro Patrick Leonard likened the removal of the database to having The Hendon Mob deleted.
WPT commentator Tony Dunst agreed with the sentiment, stating, “My parents were scared/skeptical when I went pro, but seeing I made the top 100 in the rankings helped change their minds. They were a fun way to compete with the online community, hope they’re brought back.”
Company Gives Odd Reason for Removal
Several media outlets reached out to GGPoker and PokerStake, and many received a generic response with an odd reason for removing the database.
According to the company, “As part of PokerStake’s ongoing analysis of platform traffic and user preferences, it was determined that the PokerStake community places greater importance on live results than online results. PokerStake is now working to create more holistic player profiles that combine live and online results.”
To me, this is a clear example of a company not understanding the motivations of its customers. If this move was indeed influenced by GGPoker, it would seem odd that an online poker company would assume that its players are more interested in live results.
What is much more likely is what GGPoker told users on Reddit. According to GGPoker, the company is going to use PokerStake as its primary staking arm. This will also include stats for staked players.
Reading between the lines a bit, it seems that GGPoker is looking to make its own proprietary database to replace the old one used by PokerStake.
Hopefully, the company doesn’t eliminate the historical database entirely and allows players to properly track online data separately from live data.
Databases Are Much More Motivating Than Companies Realize
Chris Moorman spoke with Poker.org about the removal of the PokerStake database and revealed that he’s “already noticed myself less motivated to grind tournaments.” He elaborated that he used the online rankings to build a legacy and keep score.
For many players, the money that can be won at poker is not enough of a motivating factor. I found this to be the case when I first started playing poker.
While I focused primarily on live poker, databases like the now-defunct PokerPages helped keep me motivated. I built my profile on PokerPages and used it as part brag board and part resume when I started in the poker industry.
Like Moorman, I am hopeful that PokerStake and GGPoker will revive the database in a meaningful way. Otherwise, one will have to question if it truly understands the motivations of its customers.
Sources
https://www.poker.org/latest-news/chris-moorman-leads-mourners-for-lost-pokerstake-rankings-a5EcP8n0SdGA/
https://pokerfuse.com/news/poker-room-news/221544-ggpoker-confirms-results-will-return-pokerstake/
