PokerStars introduced new rules and regularions for the third party software tools & services use

The world’s major online poker room has announced a new span in its policy relating to the use of third party tools&services.

Starting from the October 1, 2015 many third-party poker software and other tools are to be restricted or prohibited completely. This decision is put down to the PokerStars’ attempt to maintain an environment that is capable of attracting and retaining recreational players. Therefore the poker room is now drawing a line between acceptable and unacceptable tools and services

Most believe the catalyst for the changes was due to public debate regarding a controversial software tool developed by PokerStars player "skier_5", one that allowed him dominate heads-up sit-and-go's, along with the rumors around a suspected Russian bot ring which managed to excel unsuspecting players and win $1.5 million .

According to the PokerStars Sit & Go and Tournament Manager Baard Dahl comments in the famous TwoPlusTwo thread titled 3rd Party Software on PokerStars: Proposed Rule Change a whole lot of amandements is expected to take place on October 1:

• “Reference material, such as starting hand charts, now has to be 'basic in nature’. Anything considered to be sophisticated in nature can no longer be used whilst the client is open”. That would mean that any Hand or Situation Analysers (HUDs) aimed at displaying non-numerical data, categorising players or dynamically displaying statistics specific to a certain situation, computing equities of various ranges of hands against one another are no longer permitted during the game session.
• With the regard to the point above, the number of colors used to display information have also been restricted with a maximum of three colors allowed.
• “Table Selection and Seating Scripts can no longer time a player’s registration into a global waiting list”. However, they are allowed to register players into specific tables or tournaments
• "SpinWiz and other related software that is aimed at game selection in Spin & Go’s, will also be prohibited as of October 01 when the changes are rolled out." That implies that any tool or service that is targeted towards the manipulation of opponents in games in which you are unable to choose a specific table to play on is not to be used during the game.
• Nevertheless the issue with the scripts is not yet over.  “We are going to be looking at prohibiting all seating scripts in the future once this round of revisions has settled down and we are able to discuss the most effective solutions to limit their ongoing usage,” Dahl pointed out.
• The practice of datamining (observing games without playing in order to build up a database of hand histories for future reference) is no longer acceptable.
• Finally, any tool or service that plays without human intervention (a ‘bot’) or reduces the requirement of a human playing can no longer be used during the game. For instance, an ‘auto-folder’ is prohibited.

Baring these innovations in mind, software developers will have to obey to the regulations. Otherwise they are at risk of being blacklisted by the administration of the poker room.

Surely, some players may think that the new regulations introduced are too restrictive but in general it’s reported that they will bring positive changes only. At the very least the long-lasting domination of professionals supported by advantageous technology over amateurs oblivious to online poker software tools will be put to an end.