What are Rating Points and how are they calculated?
When you play a hand in match poker online, you play in the same way that you play any hand of No-Limit Texas Hold’em poker. It’s when the hand is over that the unique features of Match Poker appear, including our unique offering – Rating Points (RP).
We then compare your result with the results of everyone else who played the identical cards in the identical position – and we rank your performance. If your result was better than 97.5% of the players of your rank (known as ‘peers’) who played the hand, you will be awarded 10 Rating Points. If your result was the same as 50% of your peers, you receive zero Rating Points. If your result was worse than 97.5% of your peers (i.e. your result was better than less than 2.5% of your peers), you would lose 10 Rating Points.
All other results are scaled between these parameters as follows:
| 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. This can be up to 5x.
How do you gain Rating Points?
There are 4 ways:
- You start off at 1200 RP.
- Each time you play Rated Play you will play for rating points (if you wish*).
- Each time you play a Sit ‘n’ Go tournament such as Elimination or Scrap, you will play for RP as well.
- Shortcuts: Instead of starting at 1200 RP, you can start off at a ranking much closer to where your true ranking might be. During sign-up, when prompted, you can choose to tell us your skill level at poker. We will then apply a rating we believe is an appropriate starting rating for the skill level chosen. You may choose from (together with the corresponding RP we will apply):
- New to Poker (1200)
- Amateur (9000)
- Intermediate (12000)
- Expert (15000)
- Elite (18000)
We encourage players to select a skill level that most closely reflects their likely true level of skill in competitive poker. If you overestimate your poker ability and start at a higher rating than your true rating, it will be harder for you to move up the ratings and so could be a less pleasant playing experience.
Note: In order to receive the ‘Elite’ player shortcut, you must provide proof of identity and evidence of your poker skill (e.g. Hendon Mob winnings). You will be prompted of this in the app.
In most gametypes, you will be entered in events against people in the same ranking group as you are. This provides the best opportunity to move through the rankings. You will not be permitted to enter in events against people in a lower ranking group.
If, in some gametypes, you play against players in a higher ranking category, you will NOT gain greater Rating Points merely because of this. (If we did this, we’d be effectively handicapping players against you, which we will not do because these events can lead to players representing their country).
* If you’d like to play without risking Rating Points, just press the “Unrated Play” button.
Are you struggling to gain Rating Points in our app? Check out our guide to gaining RP here.
Rating Points and Ranks
Rating Points determine what Tier, Category and Rank you have. Learn more about the Match Poker Online™ Ranking System here.
Improve your RP and you may get a chance to play for your Country!
Download the Match Poker Online™ app for free and start earning Rating Points!