partypoker Launches MyGame: A Database Replacement App

Now that partypoker has banished any thoughts of hand histories from their platform, players are going to have to rely on MyGame to get an idea of what’s happening with their strategies. 

So what is MyGame exactly? According to partypoker it is:

...an English-language-only, personal interactive coach, available to use for cash games. MTT hands will be added into MyGame soon, allowing you to improve your tournament play as well. Different languages will also become available soon!”

This virtual report card allows us to track how we are faring with the key stats we are used to seeing on a HUD. We might not be able to see what’s happening in-game, but at least we can still keep track of how our strategy choices compare to the ideal. 

The aim appears to be simple: it is to give recreational players a hand up while depriving regs and professionals of the in-depth analysis available from a database package such as Hold’em Manager 2 or PokerTracker 4.

partypoker ambassador Patrick Leonard showed us exactly what we can expect to see.

Taking it to the Next Level - How Does it Stack Up Against HM2 or PT4?

As soon as a player has played more than 100 hands they can expect to receive a report the following day.

To start with, we will see our overall skill level in terms of GTO - game theory optimal - perspective graded into one of seven categories. These range from Rookie to Elite Pro. This is certainly something that a novice HM2/PT4 user will not be able to gauge. In fact, this tool alone is going to help countless of budding pros at the start of their poker journey.

The grade is scored along five different categories - “key stats, stealing & blind defence, 3 and 4 betting, post-flop aggression and showdowns.”  Each of these is then divided into a further 25 sub categories.

There are also experience stars to collect, but there is nothing in this section that will help us, it is more of a reminder of our volume.

In typical report card style, we receive a grade of A to F for each individual stat. If we are failing to grasp a certain concept then the interactive coach will dish out some advice on how to remedy the situation. These hints and tips will certainly not be found on HM2/PT4. In fact, countless hours can be lost trying to make heads or tails of the raw data.

If we are still struggling in a particular department, partypoker offers “The Clinic” and “Fundamentals” sections to dig a little deeper into why we might not be performing optimally. The training courses we will find here are again something different to what a traditional database offers.

A more exciting addition to MyGame is the “Mission” functionality. If we have a potential weakness appearing in our game then completing a mission may set us back on the right path. This is an amazing tool for recreational players who have some idea about how to play. Combined with the always visible skill level grade, this is a fantastic motivational idea.

In keeping with the modern way of treating gamers, there has been some thought towards social media and sharing the most interesting points, such as our new skill level and hands we previously played.

Changing of the Guard

This kind of changeover has gone hand-in-hand with many poker providers choosing to ban the use of HUDs and downloadable hand histories. GG Poker has gone the same way with PokerCraft and it has proven to be popular. What we can see from MyGame is that it is focussed on lesser skilled players. This inability to perform in-depth analysis is going to even up the odds once again. 

Many will think that it is helping recreational players too much. They would prefer them to be stuck with dredging unusable data from HM2/PT4 and being unable to compete. Instead, could it not be more likely that burgeoning players will see that MyGame is a clear path to improvement and therefore play more hands than they would have otherwise.