Interactive
Spain – PokerStars to test SeatMe online in Spain
By Phil - 30 January 2017
PokerStars is launching a new feature called SeatMe that removes the option available to players on the site to choose their seat in cash games.
The process used for seating players online will now mirror that used in live poker events whereby a player is seated automatically after a game and a stake is chosen. The new feature will make the seating process faster and smoother as well as being fairer. Its introduction will shut down the ability to bumhunt, the practice of deliberately seeking out and getting seated at tables with weaker players. It will also block seating scripts that will cut down preying on less experienced players on the site.
SeatMe will be tested in Spain on PokerStar’s .es website with results dictating whether it will be implemented in other markets, as well.
Severin Rasset, the Director of Poker Innovation and Operations for PokerStars, said: “At PokerStars, we are constantly looking for ways to better provide a safe and fair environment, and to improve the overall experience when a customer chooses to play with us. Protecting the game of poker that we all love is at the core of everything we do. With so many customers who trust our products, we have to be particularly vigilant against tools or strategies used to gain an unfair advantage.”
Players will no longer be able to disrupt games by stealing blinds, switching tables, or rejecting some opponents as it would levy time penalties. It will also remove the opportunity of watching live ring game tables.
