i think the point is, ceterus parabus regarding cashouts, a lot of people would snap play on ft

Think you maybe right here as long as you can maintain platinum. It was just nice to have that bankroll top up every week, it takes a while to see anything at all from stars.

I had similar opinions to the OP when making the change, but am getting used to PS.

The few little gripes I still have are..

- The hand history replayer is not as easy as FTPs to re-watch multiple hands quickly via the 'visualize' option.

- There are no deep stack HUSNGs with increasing blinds. I like the 150bb starting stack on FTP as it was a grounding for me to get used to HU cash.

- There is no 'max' button to click when wanting to jam, so I have to slide the bet slider across all the way.

However then you toss up the likelyhood of not being paid by FTP, so you live with it..

options --> betslider options --> Bet Slider Shortcut Buttons

lol @ complaining about stars. you obviously haven't seen bodog.

just be thankful you can still look at your hand histories

Agree with OP. How anyone can favour stars software over FTP's is beyond me.

I made a similar post in May after having transitioned to PS. They have a long discussion about that issue. Apparently PS admins like 1 lobby more although I'm sure they miss a lot of money from the waiting in line. I'm quite pissed off by the blinking of the player's icon while he is thinking. Also, I have unusually long streaks of break even and then winning sessions (I once even won 18 in a row at reg speed 15 euros). On FT my graph was more steady. But GET USED TO THE FACT that we'll probably not see FT anymore. So there is no point of comparisons with a dead site. Even if it resurrected (I doubt it), it would not be the same as before - it would lose a good half of the pool.

I like all the complaints some of you guys have.

"Have to use the bet slider to go all-in"

"Player's icon blinks when they're thinking"

Sounds terrible. How does this site even stay in business?

yeah, the complaints seem pretty trivial.

Multi-lobbies and proper rakeback system is huge though. Adds couple % ROI.
Anyway, for 1$ rake paid, how many VPP-s do i get on PokerStars ?

Different people, different tastes. The blinking issue was the main reason I had chosen FT to PS when I was a novice. No other site had it. I asked the support but they answered that it could not be removed. Blinking might be helpful at a full ring table, but at heads up it is really superfluous, and at least to me, quite irritating.

Visit the US for a week. Stars 2007 software would be great right now.

I always felt both of the big two (FTP/Stars) had solid software, within a few hundred games it was no problem to add a few tables against the same reg (or in shorter ST type structures adding a few in general). I can't say the same about Bodog and I'm not yet positive on Merge.

Stone's comment about the lobby system is pretty cool. I don't know if it's true, it sounds right, but I just want to highlight that comment about Stars lobby system > FTP (minor quibble, at buyins with a super high volume stretch of time, adding more lobbies makes sense, but not to the point of regs waiting under regs for minutes at a time for games, there's no way that's "the solution" to anything meaningful).

HH - Very valid point, though I think Stars has improved this tremendously since 2010 (I remember some instant replayer popping up pre BF and it was closer to on par with FTP HH replayer).

Deep Stack - So you like FTP's increasing blind structure because it got you into hu cash, but Stars fixed blind structure is worse because it more closely resembles hu cash (which has fixed blinds)? I don't get this one (also FTP deeps were pretty much dead pre black friday at $50s+ according to most, post black friday they would almost certainly be worse off).

Max button - Apparently there is a max button, but c'mon now, sliding that slider over to all in is one of the easiest things you can do after a few 100 games.

--

Conclusion: I played on Stars/FTP/Bodog/Carbon at various times over the years, Stars and FTP were pretty much solid software experiences, Bodog was atrocious and Carbon somewhere in the middle (note: the middle looks like the bottom when you're used to FTP/Stars software).

this ainec

<3 u

pretty sure platinum star is significantly less than 27% rakeback (let alone with ironman bonuses)

I miss FTP

Things that tilt me about stars:
- hide from search function
- being able to not show cards when all in
- generally less smooth software (some random glitches)
- HH replayer is worse, why don't they just change it to how FTP's was
- reward system that benefits hermit mega grinders
- no nosebleed games (not really an issue, but it is nice to have the big games, even if they might not be that profitable for the site)

Things I like about stars:
- At the start of HU game button is randomly assigned, so people can't play 1 hand in position and quit.
- Seems to be more aggro fishregs that want to 2-4 table

sigh

and the thing I most miss about FTP... well... is all my ****ing money

I started off playing HU Cash before HUSNGs, however made the transition due to the amount of rake played in HU Cash. Now I've started to like the SNG format (thus why I've started browsing this subforum).

I enjoy the increasing SNG structure as adjusting to shallow stack play is not something I was accustomed to playing 100bbs+ deep; however I feel it will help me with shallow play in my local B&M games.

That being said I still enjoy playing deeper as elements of my normal game don't work so well under 100bbs. Therefore a deep SNG structure suits me, but I'm probably a minority.

Cheers, I'll check it out I have the 1/2 pot, 2/3 pot, full bet buttons, must have missed the setting to max.

Pretty sure you're wrong. Things have changed a bit. Platinum star u get 22% rakeback + ~6-8% stellar milestones = ~27% rakeback (really around 29%) and this is real rakeback, not something u need to unlock.

Or see this chart:



As for your $$$, well, hope u get it back.

Cry me a river, at least you get to play on stars. Im stuck on merge and it takes like 6 weeks to get a ****ing check which sometime comes as a gift card.

maybe my calcs are wrong. I worked out the rakeback on rake taken, and then getting the $500 bonuses. Admittedly I missed the milestone bonuses, but I don't think they would equate to more than 2% rakeback

did you also take out FTs MGR hits for their withdraws, overlays, spending ftp points? I could withdraw every week on stars and not get less bonuses.

How much money is stucked?

+1

ya but not that great of a lobby for the hyperturbo where no reg can really have a huge edge on another (ya I am about to get flammed ...I know). In hyper more than any other form you make your money from fish bumping into regs all the time just introduces more variance and wasted time.

HH replayer is horrible and you can only review one game. Software is full of glitches and on and on and....and don't get me started on the BI structure.

But I guess we shouldn't moan. At least we have somewhere to play.

I don't mind stars software (FTP was better but whatever). The only part of this that does bother me is the hand replayer... it's SO annoying versus how simple and fast the full tilt one was.

As for the lobbies, if it's obvious you have an edge the guy wont resit you, and you can take the lobby after a match or two.

big money (was playing 2/4 when it went down)