Match Poker Online™ features a unique algorithm for ranking poker players, the basis of which lies in how Match Poker is played.
Every time you play a hand on our platform, you are benchmarked against everyone else who played the exact same hand in the exact same game conditions. We deal the decks asynchronously, so potentially thousands of others will have played the same hand you just played, whether it was today, yesterday, or a month before. This builds up a huge dataset upon which we can compare you.
After you’ve played a hand, you will be informed:
Congratulations – you won 430 chips.
In the 17,249 times this hand was played before, the average chips won was 230.
You beat 84% of players who have played this hand before.
You gained 8 rating points.
You are awarded rating points for the hand, based on where you came amongst all your peers* who played that hand, according to the following table.
*Peers are players of a similar rank to you.
| You beat % of peers | Rating Points Won | You beat % of peers | Rating Points Lost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 97.5-99.9% (Top 2.5%) | 10 | 0%-2.49% (Bottom 2.5%) | -10 |
| 92.5-97.49% | 9 | 2.5-7.49% | -9 |
| 87.5-92.49% | 8 | 7.5-12.49% | -8 |
| 82.5-87.49% | 7 | 12.5-17.49% | -7 |
| 77.5-82.99% | 6 | 17.5-22.49% | -6 |
| 72.5-77.49% | 5 | 22.5-27.49% | -5 |
| 67.5-72.49% | 4 | 27.5-32.49% | -4 |
| 62.5-67.49% | 3 | 32.5-37.49% | -3 |
| 57.5-62.49% | 2 | 37.5-42.49% | -2 |
| 52.5-57.49% | 1 | 42.5-47.49% | -1 |
| 47.5-52.49% (Middle 5%) | 0 | 47.5-52.49% (Middle 5%) | 0 |
Note: To help on-board novice players, we apply a multiplier to RP gains for lower ranks – so you may find yourself winning more points than this while in the ‘Rookie’ category.
We can even compare your result only against players in the same ranking category as you.
For example, consider a hand that has been played 200 times by players in your ranking category. You are next to play the hand and win 300 chips. This result is, say, better than 67.5-72.49% of all those players. You would therefore be awarded 4 rating points for the hand.
As you move up in the rankings, you will obviously find it harder to consistently perform above your then current ranking level, until you settle in a range that truly reflects you ranking among your peers – or among all poker players.
This is a dynamic equilibrium system, where winning or losing a single hand is not a death knell for your ranking. On the other hand, the system is weighted to produce an accurate ranking far more quickly than in regular, “un-benchmarked” poker, where it can take hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of hands to accurately determine skill.
If you are new to Match Poker Online, you may notice a red ‘P‘ next to your name. This indicates that your rank is Preliminary. Our ranking algorithm cannot discern your accurate rank without a lot of data points, so your rank is just tentative at this point. After enough hands, your red P will turn to a green ‘P‘, and then disappear entirely once enough data has been collected on your play!
This is the first iteration of exciting ranking methodologies that we will be testing and refining over the coming months as we try hard to produce the best ever ranking system for poker play. We enthusiastically invite you to test the system and give us your most brutal feedback. [Download the App and play for free today!].
We are committed to developing this platform into poker’s greatest asset – proof to the world that poker is indisputably a game of skill – creating the Sport of Poker.
Want to learn more? Make sure to read our one-minute article on Match Poker Online’s World-First Ranking Algorithm!
We’d love you to give us your thoughts by getting in touch with us on our social media too. We want you to help us make this the best and most air-tight system for ranking poker players based on skill!