Terra Poker has had 3 consecutive amazing tournaments, with huge payouts of thousands of dollars! Thank you to our TP community, and all participants to the tournaments.
As such, we have become increasingly aware that some new users are unfamiliar with an implemented rule that is in place; and therefore, we are looking to modify the rule to accommodate further awareness.
The Current Rule: Three consecutive timed-out folds will result in a forced forfeit and exit from the tournament.
The Background: There are pros/cons to running an online poker platform. One of which, is to enforce fairness and implement rules that prevent abuse. To ensure this, we have implemented the 3-timed out folds rule (we had to draw a line somewhere), to prevent idle players that be seated at tables. We found that this was not fair for players who are actively playing on the tables, especially, when idleness can lead a player to get to the final table.
The Problem: We have found that each tournament can last anywhere between 1.5hrs to 2.5hrs from a participation of around 40-50 players. In these lengthy tournaments, we understand that there may arise circumstances where a player may need to vacate their positions. We also understand that some players may have internet connections that may prohibit them from actively playing.
The expectation, however, is that when a player comes to play, that they engage actively and that stable internet connection for online presence is maintained. This is fair for all other players on the table.
The problem remains that it is hard to distinguish between those who have issues outside their control (unstable internet connections), and those who stay idle to advance to other stages (actively folding remains actively playing, of course).
The Proposed Solution: The TP team is all ears once it comes to community feedback. The proposed solution is to raise the time-out hands to SIX (6) from three, doubling the time for inactive presence. Another solution is to be explicit about the rules before entering the tournament. The rule does not apply to cash games, and refunds are not a viable solution at this time.
UPDATED (04/04/2023 05:30am UTC): After considerable discussion on the back of feedback given by our community members, we are proposing a forced time-out hands to TEN (10) from three. This will significantly increase the time for inactive presence on the tables, while ensuring that fairness is maintained for other players. This should also give users sufficient penalty-free vacancy time, while addressing concerns such as unstable internet connections.
Got another good solution? Please provide below.
Once a meaningful discussion comes, we will move into a proposal on the most optimal solution. TP Community, please engage!