I'm glad these rules hae been opened up for discussion. There are a couple of things on this one that I think need filling out somewhat.
First: how to check the data used and
Second: going a bit further to limit the dynamic street by street advice provided by some profiling tools in order to make them less powerful and thus deliver a closer to level playing field.
Quote:
A. The following types of tools and services are generally acceptable:
....
3. Tools and services that profile your opponents, but make use of only information which you have accumulated through your own play
Checking the Data
The trouble here is that there appears to be no enforcement mechanism regarding the data used for this once the HUD or Scanner/Autoseater is hooked in to a local database rather than a subscription service online. Currently you have no way to check that the data is the player's or not.
I would propose that software in this category to be on the authorised list rather than the banned list would need to allow Stars access to the data being used for the player(s) being played against - this could then be checked against the software user's record of play at Stars. IF the software user has more data than should be available to them then it would be clear that the rules are being breeched.
The check would also need to include a check of automated flags set manually potentially using a larger data set and then imported as notes, buttons, colour codes, flashing lights, soundclips or anything else that in play offers advice not from imported data but rather the conclusions based upon illegal data analysed away from the table or provided by others. Those automated playing flags are at least as important as the basic hand data figures shown in play.
This would require the active cooperation of s/w suppliers wanting to be on the Stars approved list.
The TOS for the player would need to be amended to allow this and the above summary explained in further detail, maybe elsewhere, with a technical standard for suppliers.
Too Powerful/Too Dynamic
Tools like Notecaddy and NoteCaddy Edge as well as some HUDs provide dymanic street by street information, all nicely colour coded that offers in game, in hand, in street advice that is both dyamic by street and tailored to opponents and specific in game situations.
This is just too powerful, it allows too much info, or rther too much ADVICE to be displayed clearly specific to that player and that street, plus of course position.
My proposal is that the HUD or other S/W tool must be non dynamic whilst the player is sat at the table. No changing it by street, no changing it by position. The basic simple information that now seems to be the new standard would be fixed for the session, or rather whilst the player is sat in the game. The player could customise that info to their needs, preferences or requirements but it would be static. This would prevent players using dozens of different dynamic advice flags and instead return us to displaying the simple information or long hand notes.
For clarity, yes I also mean getting rid of scatter graphs and the like chosen for display only at specific points in the hand - if the information is too much, too complex to display for every hand and every street then it is not compliant with rule No 1 for permitted software
Quote:
1. Tools and services that simply report basic game state information, such as pot odds or absolute hand strength.
or rule No2
Quote:
2. Tools and services that are static reference material and basic in nature, such as a single table-based starting hand chart.
Allowing it to be sophisticated, street specific and dynamic just because it is (in part) based upon data gathered legitimately is just not right. It should remain fairly basic and above all static in format (updating the data displayed post hand as new data received wld be OK).
This second one is likely to annoy some, not least suppliers, but it is basically the same reason for updating the rules as the recent discussion - the software has become too powerful, it has become in game advice.