Online Poker Seating Scripts
Less than months after announcing it was to limit the effectiveness of so called “seating scripts” in cash games, PokerStars has completely banned these automated programs in all of its cash games.
The most recent tactical instrument in the online poker community is known as a ‘Seating Script’, and its use has created a great deal of debate. Seating scripts are designed to scan the tournament lobby for weaker, recreational players and available seats. Cash game players at the world’s largest online poker site, PokerStars, will no longer be able to use automated seating scripts from Mar. 1 following changes to PokerStars’ third-party tools and services policy. Some cash game players use third-party software known as seating scripts when they play online. Several versions of seating. Alex Scott, a representative of Microgaming, believe that things are more complicated than they should be but nevertheless, Microgaming Poker Network managers are also willing to impose new rules that limit the number of seating scripts. They also showcase a huge selection of poker tools and regularly publish online poker news on their blog. PokerMarket is an online poker community and marketplace. Trade poker content, buy and sell stakings, or talk strategy on the forums together with more than 20.000 other poker enthusiasts. Script among all existing ones, which won’t miss a single fish. Works on modern algorithms, connects quickly to the minimum ping, what will allow you to get the seats first Information is displayed without delay, the script scans open tables and reacts immediately.
A blog written by PokerStars Director of innovation and poker operations, Severin Rasset, on Feb. 27 outlined policy changes that were designed to “ensure the same rules and standard apply to everyone.” Rasset explained its third-party tools policies would still allow a player to be automatically seated at a cash game table, although the software would not be allowed if it seated a player at a table based on profiling potential opponents, player notes or playing statistics.
Preying on weaker players has long been an issue in cash games for all online poker site. The process, known as “bum hunting” sees players target lesser skilled opponents. While this is a perfectly viable strategy (playing against opponents who are weaker than you), some online poker players use automated seating scripts that scan for lesser skilled players in lobbies and at tables before automatically seating them at the best possible seat with these weaker opponents.
No More Bum-Hunting
The blanket ban on all automated seating scripts came into force on April 11 following feedback from the poker community. The initial policy changes had the opposite of the desired effect as some of the script developers created workarounds for their software that ultimately resulted in dozens of seat reservations at tables, effectively blocking non-script users from being seated.
A user on the Two Plus Two forums known as “sandr1x” started a thread entitled“The Anti-Scripts Petition.” The poster urged fellow PokerStars cash game players to email PokerStars’ support teams asking them for a blanket ban on automated seating scripts.
Less than 24 hours later, a PokerStars Game Integrity representative posted in the thread detailing all automated seating scripts would be banned immediately.
I am a representative of the Stars Group Game Integrity Team.
Due to ring game seating scripts inherently causing this “table blocking”, we are making changes starting from today to prohibit players using these seating scripts. This change is effective immediately. It will take several days to update information on our webpages.
We thank the players who have raised their concerns with us on this issue.
Regards,
Scott S
Community Response
The changes have been met with positive feedback on the aforementioned Two Plus Two thread with players being particularly pleased with the lack of reserved seats at their tables.
PokerStars has since updated a 41-page dossier on the third-party tools that come under three categories: permitted at all times, prohibited only whilst the client is open, and prohibited at all times. Point eight of the 'prohibited at all times' section states “any tool or service for ring game selection efficiency.”
With early indications showing this blanket ban has had a positive effect on PokerStars’ cash games, it is likely other online poker sites will follow suit. Rumors are circulating that partypoker is set to force alias changes and will be banning Heads-Up Displays (HUDs) but there has been no official word from the partypoker management team as of yet.
The Stars Group owns a majority shareholding in iBus Media.
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PokerStars continually tries to improve the online gaming experience on their platform. Recently, they made big changes in their third-party tools and services policy, and one of the main changes that took place is banning the automated seating scripts. The change will become effective on March 1 and this will definitely change the way their online poker cash games work. Some players who enjoy playing online poker on the biggest platform for this game have been repeatedly using seating scripts that supported their online play. There are a couple of different versions of seating scripts that work in a different way. However, the main idea behind these scripts is the same.
What Are Seating Scripts?
What seating scripts do is they scan all available seats in various poker games on services that offer online poker. The player makes preferences and lets the script find a perfect free spot on the table that is just as specified by the player. Players usually seek tables that consist of players who are less experienced by them, thus improving their opportunity to win in the game. Sometimes, they even wait for target users to sit on a particular table and quickly join it as they know they could beat them. Whether this is the right decision is debatable as it is not strictly against the rules. However, it does create a certain level of unfairness and can discourage new and inexperienced players from learning poker.
Poker Seating Scripts
Changes Expected to Take Place on March 1
Online Poker Seating Scripts 777
The change will not prohibit only seating scripts but any type of third-party software, tool, or service that affects table selection and increases its efficiency. In other words, any type of program that can filter games that are available and automates the table-joining process is going to be banned on March 1. PokerStars hasn’t officially confirmed this but they one of the providers of the seating scripts claimed on a poker forum that they had received a 40-page long notice which highlights that all the seating scripts are going to be banned on the platform.
The seating script provider which is known as NEED4SEAT posed on a forum, concluding that there would be a lot of new rules which players would have to adhere to. He concluded by saying that PokerStars is determined to ban any player who uses software that makes table-selection simplified on the basis of the data collected from individual players. However, this doesn’t seem to stop script makers for working on a different solution that would be compliant with the policy. They even proposed changes to the PokerStars Game Integrity team which decided to approve them. Another interesting feature that is already active on Unibet Poker and MPN network is called “Seat Me” and it is the next best thing. Instead of finding your own sit, the Sit Me feature does it for you, but there are no additional preferences that players can set and gain an advantage.