PokerStars ban SharkScope & Is My Home Poker Game’s RNG Rigged ?

[scrawnybob]

hi all

this weeks poker ramble on 4kingpokerblog.com is -

PokerStars ban SharkScope & Is My Home Poker Game’s RNG Rigged ?

feel free to discuss and post any thoughts etc here ;-)

cheers scrawnybob

[controlaltdelet]

you dont like sharkscope?

[scrawnybob]

hi

I think the point of the blog post was that

while I and any other player would like sharkscope - why wouldnt we

It gives a big advantage to users who simply havent built that information themsleves - nor could they

which is why pokerstars have banned it

personally then of you look at it from their perspective you can see why and then you think
hmm. Its a great tool but maybe is an unfair advantage

cheers scrawnybob

[Dazzler69]

When is that coming into effect Bob, coz I can still use the search on sharkscope to search for players. Or is that the results that are coming up to a previous date. I dont use it much for other players, more for looking at my own results, but now I use sharkserv to analyse my own play.

[scrawnybob]

hi

pokerstars still have sharkscope as "pending" but on thier banned list (if that makes sense)

basically the poker ramble in our blog was a heads up for you guys

a) pokerstars are clamping down on "unfairly" advantagous use of software - both suppliers and more importantly users

b) this seems to include sharkscope - although pending I cant see how it doesnt fall into pokerstars definition of software they dont approve of

c) to spark a bit of conversation / thought on where the line is on useful software and tools that cross the line

personally I dont think sharkscope is encouraging or doing anything underhand - but when you think about its power and the fact that alot of already profitable players are using this -

it becomes and almost must have just to keep up - which ultimately I think will be bad for the game as it levels the skills between good and moderately good players

but leaves non users - the fish and learners at a very big disadvantage

Personally I really like the people at sharkscope - but I also think like pokerstars having all that data on players you have never played before is too much of an advantage

and that will just widen the gap between the style of live games and online games - making online become purely an excercise in information gathering before you even prove your skills at the tables - you may as well have a bot (almost)

Its one thing making your own player notes (your personal advantage) but another not having to bother because you can access information on literally everyone with little effort

cheers scrawnybob

[Dazzler69]

While I understand the arguement against and if I was running a site then I would have to seriously think about whether I'd allow its use, as like you say it can provide an advantage.

But in the defence of sharkscope, you can set it up so that you are hidden from the search so that people cannot find your data. Surely the best thing for both sides would be to educate people about what they can and can't do. I don't mind people seeing my sharkscope beacause it is positive lol, but if people knew they could hide their stats from people then maybe they would.