5:47pm: This seems to be one topic that everyone seems to agree to disagree on. X number of people feel that any information you give, and I do mean ANY, can only hurt you in regards to poker. On the other hand, some would rather reveal to other players their results, as their style is a product of the assumption that the other player already knows what kind of player you are. To break this down, we need to make a list of the benefits of both sides of the story. There are good arguments on both sides the story, but let’s first examine the side of those who say “hide it.”

1. Hiding Your Sharkscope Results (Benefits)

• Your opponent has no clue if you’ve made $250,000 in your lifetime playing poker, or if you’ve lost $1,000,000 in the same span. Therefore, they can make no assumptions about you or what kind of player you are based on PROFIT alone. The less they know about you, the more equipped you are to keep them guessing, and this confusion could lead you to victory.
• Your opponent cannot hone in on recent trends in your graph, and therefore cannot tell how you’ve been playing in the last 100-200 games or so. Consequently, if your game hasn’t been top notch recently, and you find yourself on tilt, your opponent will never know it.
• Personal privacy is an important concept, especially as relates to online poker. You believe that it is your business, and only your business to know your results. The only way to ensure this is to hide them.
• “Sharks” are less likely to prey on those whose results are blocked. Many people refuse to register first in heads up sit n gos because they like to Sharkscope their opponents before they play them. If your results are blocked, then they will more than likely move on to easier prey.

  Now, let’s take a look at those who say it’s better to show the results than it is to hide them:

2. Displaying Your Sharkscope (Benefits)

• If you have good results, “Sharks” are more likely to stay away from you if you register first. It’s just common sense. This is a business, and everyone’s in it to make money. It’s just simply not a good business decision to play someone who is near the same skill level as yourself.
• If you have good results, people are more likely to believe you when you bet. Therefore, it is a lot easier to pull off big bluffs and drag small pots without a hand. A good part of heads up play is based on deception, and they’re already playing into your hand when they believe you’re telling the truth.
• Sharkscope is a great tool that automatically tracks your results. Therefore, if your results are enabled, then you won’t have to go through the trouble of tracking them by hand or via an Excel spreadsheet. All the work is done for you. When results are blocked, you have to do a lot more work as far as money management/account skills go.

So, there are a few solid arguments for both sides of the issue. One thing that should stick out to you is that there are far more effective benefits of enabling your Sharkscope as a good player than there is for the below average player.

At the end of the day, this is a matter of personal preference. While this article may not have changed your mind either way, just keep these things in mind when deciding for yourself what sounds like a better idea to you.