Pokerstars are making waitlists into must-move tables where you must battle it out if you want a seat at the original table, instead of passively waiting on waitlist now-
Will this help drive a nail into the coffin that is reg tables on pokerstars since only the strongest regs often want to battle it out in tough games? Or do you think this will contribute to a better eco-system and future of poker?
Seems just another way rake will effectively be higher, force people to battle so reg:fish ratio becomes higher - I forsee this just being one step more in the direction of everything becoming zoom since if you force players to play -ev games they will just play on a different site or join zoom, they won't battle it out vs good regs for a random chance to join the main game that nowadays might have 1 fish on it in first place.
Text version for those who can't view link from your region/work -
Spoiler:
Quote:
Whenever we create a new feature, the customer experience comes first. Our goal is to provide access to what you want when you want it and to ensure an enjoyable, safe and fair experience when you get there. We also know every player is different, so we ultimately aim for a balance that is acceptable to everyone.
Our latest feature, Active Waiting List, is all about making the game fairer and the experience better for most players. We created this new system for those who like to play cash games with us and it is primarily designed to combat predatory behaviour and level the playing field. It achieves this goal by making it more difficult for some players to seek out our less experienced or more recreational players. We expect Active Waiting List to have many other positive effects on our community too because it will reduce the time players spend waiting for a seat in a cash game and increase the number of games running, which benefits everyone.
How does it work? If you play cash games online or live, you’ll probably be familiar with the concept of a waiting list. If you play live poker, you may even be familiar with feeder tables or must-move games. The basic premise is that rather than waiting around for a seat in the main game to become available, waiting players form a secondary game. One by one they get their chance to move to the main game as seats at that table become available, all while filling the wait with some poker action.
This is similar to what we want to achieve with Active Waiting List. Players waiting to join a full game must now be actively playing on another table of the same type and stakes to be eligible for a seat.
There are a few adaptations necessary for the online environment. The most significant is the removal of the typical ‘first come first served’ policy for a waiting list. In a live poker room, you would be understandably annoyed if you’d been waiting 30 minutes for a game and another player walked right in and took your seat. But waiting lists in online cash games don’t function in quite the same way. The reality is that sometimes a waiting list of 10 or more players can spring up within a few seconds.
With that in mind, eligibility won’t depend on if you were the first to get on the waiting list. When a seat at your preferred table becomes available, a draw will take place between all players who are waiting to join that table while playing on other tables, and one player will be offered the seat. The draw is weighted to favour players who have been playing on their waiting table for longer, so there is still an incentive to be early on the list.
Instead of allowing players to join waiting lists and sit out, we’re also instead rewarding engagement. So, if you are sitting out on your waiting table when a seat at the table you’ve been waiting for becomes available, you will not be offered it unless no other waiting players are actively playing. This system has been designed to encourage engagement and action, while deterring players whose only objective is to join games with weaker opponents. Now, instead of passively sitting on a waiting list until the right seat becomes available, that player will need to play in order to remain on the waiting list.
Another feature of Active Waiting List is that players on any given waiting table can be waiting for different target tables, or even not waiting for another game at all. Waiting tables look like any other table in the PokerStars lobby and are free for any player to join. Your waiting table will be the same game type and stakes as your target table. If you leave your waiting table, you will be removed from the waiting list for your target table.
We understand that people who use waiting lists to hunt weaker players will not be happy with this change, but our intention is to make the online poker lobby a fairer place and to ensure the game’s ongoing health. We are confident that this will be a positive step forward for the online poker environment and will be listening to feedback and analysing how this is received as we look ahead to additional features and updates.
We hope you enjoy this new addition and, as always, have fun and please play responsibly.
Last edited by TreadLightly; 09-29-2020 at 05:09 AM.
No clue in what way this will play out. Basically a ton of bumhunters simply won't be able to join a waiting list anymore and that's about it, I guess? Hell, maybe no one but 2-3 people will be able to join a HS waiting list anymore since that would require them to play v the world elite. So the only people on waiting lists will be the top crushers now I guess.
What with the "Must be playing" though? What when only one 50/100 table is running, and someone wants to join the list? They have to open sit a new table and HU ***** Wiktor who pops down 2nd in line, to get on list for the one running table?
seems like itll kill waitlists no? if you were 2nd or 3rd in line, did you ever get a table anyway. waitlists seemed kind of pointless to me anyway
you got a 4 table cap. why waste one of your slots to battle out vs 5 other regs with 17% chance of joining a table with a fish.
why not battle it out vs 4 other regs with an open seat to guarantee a seat instead.
if theres 5 regs on active waiting list. does it create a new table with one open seat that anyone can join or you just battling it out for that one table of a fish with the table hidden away?
this will kill reg tables below high stakes. Tbh it was probably inevitable anyway
why would it? were waitlists really that big part of a system of tabling starting and rec joining?
seems like waitlists were kind of pointless and most regs stayed on the table until a rec busted. recs just get busted too fast for it to get past the 1st or 2nd person on the waitlist.
the only thing i would possibly hate about this is if... i got a 4table cap, and ive got 3 full tables and starting a 4th table battling which isnt full yet, itll be annoying if 5 other waitlist tables were now open which is diluting my chance of a rec joining my table-starting table. Would be ok if there wasnt a 4 table cap so i could join other waitlist tables or if the waitlist tables are hidden. i dont fully understand how it all works yet so this might not be the case
this will kill reg tables below high stakes. Tbh it was probably inevitable anyway
Absolute nonsense. It's very easy to get tables at 25nl and below without ever being on a waiting list and it always has been. The only thing problem I can see this creating is that people will become very "quick" at clicking on seats when fish join incomplete tables, if you know what I mean.
Don't see how this will have much effect on lower stakes. Regs will just join one random table and tank every decision while spam joining a million waiting lists. As soon a seat at any of the good tables opens, they'll insta leave the first table.
what if the 'waiting table' is your 5th table (so you cannoy play it)? You are kicked of the waiting list because you couldnt play the 5th table that you didnt want in the first place??
I think this system only makes a bit of sense if the table cap isnt ridiculously low
Last edited by Slugant; 09-29-2020 at 08:35 AM.
Reason: edit: and sometimes a 5th table pop up that you do want so you close 1 of 4 active, but now it makes no sense
Stupidest idea since the cashout option they implimented. All to "protect " the rec player. Free world, recs choose to play poker. If they choose to not study and get better, it's on them. Don't need a "big" brother looking out for them.
Stupidest idea since the cashout option they implimented. All to "protect " the rec player. Free world, recs choose to play poker. If they choose to not study and get better, it's on them. Don't need a "big" brother looking out for them.
And this is the reason why this is good . Bumhunters gonna cry all day every day. You should probably allso study bit more honestly.
Don't know I think every change that moves regs away from the games is good news. Stars is doing exellent job pissing of regs and that's good for the games. Definetely better than blind lobbies that only makes players hopping tables constantly.
Free world, recs choose to play poker. If they choose to not study and get better, it's on them. Don't need a "big" brother looking out for them.
Free world, regs choose to play poker. If they choose to sit on waitlists, PokerStars can make them play (aka pay rake) while doing it. Don't need a "big" poker site to let them sit on waitlists for free.
Free world, regs choose to play poker. If they choose to sit on waitlists, PokerStars can make them play (aka pay rake) while doing it. Don't need a "big" poker site to let them sit on waitlists for free.
bumhunting even fuccs up bumhunters. And probably scares amateur players more than bots. imagine sitting down on an empty table and within seconds table is full but only as long as you’re playing and your table is the only one running but with a foot long waitlist. even the drunkest degen would realize what’s going on. banning seating scripts was absolutely necessary but obviously didnt stop it. yeah this new lobby sucks and has disadvantages but what else to do when there are dozens of players who’s gameplan is leeching on only the weakest. don’t hate on stars, hate on the leeches who don’t even love the game but just want to extract money from it while getting fat in front of their computers waiting for prey
I think the change makes sense for rec players' experiences. It's always a little bit disgusting to see how the whole table instantly fills once a recreational joins. I can't imagine that they don't pick up on that dynamic. So from my view it all comes down to this: "Another feature of Active Waiting List is that players on any given waiting table can be waiting for different target tables, or even not waiting for another game at all."
Because the recreational will most likely be the first person to leave the table, having to play a tough table for the chance to then only get a seat at the now also only regs table, is not very tempting, to say the least. But if you can play the must-move table for a chance to get a seat at several tables on that stake, it would make sense, if a few tables are running. That is how I understand the quoted sentence. Will def. be interesting to see how it changes the dynamic.
i will expect tremendous amount of players sitting out and tables breaking way too fast. guess i'll turn auto-post blinds off now, first session was crap
