Unfolding on Wednesday on PocketFives was word that Bodog had removed screen names and player notes from its tables. According to a statement posted on Pokerfuse on Wednesday, Bodog officials remarked, “This feature stops poker pros accessing any data on how you play your game via the use of HUDs and other data mining sites like PokerTableRatings and SharkScope. This is totally unique to the Bodog Poker Network and will send shockwaves through the online poker playing community.”

Shockwaves indeed.

Among those companies affected was PokerTracker, whose Twitter feed broke word that the tracking program would cease to support Bodog effectively immediately: “New Bodog client out today, but we will no longer support Bodog. Not enough PT users on Bodog to devote development resources going forward.” PokerTracker representatives added via Twitter, “PokerTracker is not the focus of Bodog’s mission, they are after data mining sites, but we were caught in the crossfire.”

PokerTracker explained via Twitter that Bodog’s existing Terms of Service explicitly permit it: “Ironically, Bodog’s Terms of Service still legally permits the use of PokerTracker, the TOS was last updated in 2010.” The site’s Terms of Service explain that players may only collect data from their “own first-hand experience.”

On PocketFives, reaction to the Bodog software update in a Poker Sites thread was largely negative. One frustrated member of the online poker community vented, “No way to track results is terri-bad. No HUDs is one thing, but this anonymous nonsense. I can’t even put into words how little sense this makes. Also, a permanent blackjack button you can’t get rid of on the table and the worst sounds you have ever heard on a poker client.”

Another PocketFives member experienced the full gamut of emotions, posting, “At first glance, I was psyched. Software looks much cleaner and new games are a plus. But dear god, this anonymous shit is the stupidest thing I’ve ever seen. Really just don’t understand who they’re trying to appeal to.”

Bodog Network Vice President Jonas Odman told Pokerfuse, “We believe that introducing these features makes Bodog… a pioneer in the online poker world and offers all players of all abilities the fairest place to play. We have shown before that we are not afraid of controversy by changing the way rakeback was viewed and starting to block data mining sites… These new features now give players a less biased ‘pure poker’ experience.”

How player security will be ensured given the lack of screen names remains to be seen. When the cheating scandals broke on Absolute Poker and UB, software like PokerTracker helped unravel the case. One poster on PocketFives echoed, “This completely opens the door to site corruption possibilities with zero tracking of results. Possibly the worst software upgrade of any product I’ve ever seen.”

Speaking on the possibility of collusion and cheating, PokerTracker’s Steven McLoughlin told PocketFives on Wednesday, “We have been contacted by some sites as well as licensing authorities to discuss technology to detect collusion. We have the technology in place to help facilitate detection in the hands already, but it is not automated; it still requires a player’s suspicions as the starting point of an investigation. There is no known foolproof third party package available for sites or networks to use; security is often a manual process.”

McLoughlin added that Bodog’s Patrick Selin contacted him earlier this year, “when he shared his plans for eliminating data mining on Bodog eventually. It is fairly obvious that PokerTracker, which ethically follows the poker room Terms and Conditions, got caught in the crossfire.”

Also making waves on Wednesday was news that the Microgaming Network would, according to Pokerfuse and PokerStrategy, make No Limit Heads-Up cash game tables anonymous. Pokerfuse added, “Anonymous tables at Full Ring No Limit and Six-Max Limit will be rolled out at all stakes… A limited offering will also be spread at beginners’ tables.”

McLoughlin told PocketFives that there was an important distinction between Bodog’s software update and Microgaming’s expansion of anonymous tables: “Although it is not the ideal situation to encourage transparency, at least on Microgaming, players have a choice. You can say, ‘I want to play on these anonymous tables on Microgaming,’ but you can also say you don’t want to play on these tables. Bodog players lost their choice.”

Visit the thread in the Poker Sites forum to discuss.