BetOnline Poker has made significant changes to its Cash Race promotion which will give recreational players more opportunities to benefit from the promotion as well as making it easier for the site to identify cheats and bots. But watch out for those pesky Terms and Conditions if you intend taking part in this promo.
If you are a regular visitor to USAFriendlyPokerSites.com, you will undoubtedly be aware of the efforts being made by BetOnline Poker to improve the playing experience at the site. So far this year we have seen new games and promotions, social media freeroll tournaments, a free poker odds calculator and a number of player-friendly changes intended to speed up the action.
Now BetOnline Poker has changed its Cash Race leaderboard promotion from weekly to daily, extended the number of stake levels from three to six, and altered the way in which leaderboard points are awarded in order to give players an equal chance of sharing in the $1,100 prize pool. The changes should also result in a fairer playing experience for everyone.
How the New Cash Race Promo Works
Now, whenever you play a cash game at BetOnline Poker (excluding Boost Poker games and games played at the Bad Beat Jackpot tables), you are awarded a point for each raked hand. The points accumulate on a leaderboard for the stake level you are playing at, and the top three players each day on each leaderboard win a cash prize. The stake levels and prizes are as follow:
| Daily Cash Race | First | Second | Third |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0.05/$0.10 | $30.00 | $20.00 | $10.00 |
| $0.10/$0.25 | $40.00 | $25.00 | $15.00 |
| $0.25/$0.50 | $70.00 | $40.00 | $30.00 |
| $0.50/$1.00 | $90.00 | $55.00 | $35.00 |
| $1.00/$2.00 | $120.00 | $70.00 | $50.00 |
| $2.00/$5.00+ | $200.00 | $120.00 | $80.00 |
It is important to note that, for the purpose of BetOnline Poker´s Daily Cash Race, each “day” starts at 8:00pm (ET) and runs through to 7:59pm (ET) the following day. There is no limit on how many cash prizes you can win each day; so – in theory – you could win the $0.25/$0.50 cash race and come second in the $0.50/$1.00 cash race to win a total of $125.00.
How the Changes Should Stop Cheats and Bots
Unfortunately cheats and bots are a factor at practically every online poker site and, in cash races such as being hosted by BetOnline Poker, it is often players sharing the same account and automated software that win the majority of the prizes. Organizing a promotion in which a point is awarded for every raked hand should enable the site to identify cheats and bots, and close their accounts. This is how the logic works:
- On a standard full-ring table, you are unlikely to see more than 60 hands played per hour. Typically half of these will see the flop, at which point rake is deducted from the pot and a point awarded to the players involved in the hand.
- On this basis, the maximum number of points you can get within an hour is 30 points per table and, as BetOnline Poker limits the number of tables you can play simultaneously to four, the maximum number of points you can get within an hour is 120.
- From my experience, most cash game sessions do not extend beyond five hours. So, if any player achieves more than 600 points in a day, this would set off alarm bells at BetOnline security and the player´s account would be investigated.
The Evidence Suggests Changes are Working
So far this week, the evidence points to maybe one or two bots playing in the micro-stakes levels but not elsewhere. Indeed, many players at stakes that would qualify for the Bad Beat Jackpot ($0.50/$1.00 and upwards) seem to be content playing for a share of the Jackpot which currently stands at $463,000. Consequently, in yesterday´s $0.50/$1.00 and $1.00/$2.00 cash races, you could have won a prize by playing fewer than one hundred raked hands.
Therefore, if you would like to play poker in a fair environment where you have a chance of picking up a cash prize every day – in addition to what you win at the tables – visit BetOnline Poker.
