Poker Software Rumblings at PokerPalooza

Recently, PokerPalooza, formerly known as the Gaming Life Expo, made its debut at the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP). On-hand were a bevy of merchandisers, book publishers, and training sites. Also found among the multitude of vendors were a variety of poker software outfits including Poker Controls and PokerTableRatings. Being the astute reporters that we are, PokerSoftware.com sat down with each site to learn more about their latest news.

Poker Table Ratings had just rolled out a brand new feature for members to take advantage of. A “Report Card” was launched on the morning of the first day of PokerPalooza and assigns a letter grade to a variety of categories. Gone are the days of having to interpret what stats mean. Now, in similar fashion to a color-coding process, letter grades are assigned to characterize a player’s pre-flop tightness, pre-flop aggressiveness, flop aggressiveness, turn aggressiveness, river aggressiveness, and showdown frequency. It’s a straightforward way of deciphering a player’s tendencies and is straight out of grade school.

A PokerTableRatings official told PokerSoftware.com, “It came from us sitting around thinking of ways to incorporate all of our data. The amount of data that we have is unreal. We have as much data as a person would in Holdem Manager, but for every player.” In case you didn’t know, PokerTableRatings launched about one year ago and is now in its third generation. Its booth at the Rio Convention Center was staffed by a three-man crew and included a laptop to demonstrate the capabilities of the program. For much of the day, it was mobbed with hungry poker fans looking to elevate their games.

Also found among the throng of humanity was Poker Controls, the manufacturer of the Wireless Poker Controller. The product should be ready for purchase in September. In the meantime, the company has sold thousands of advanced units and were offering 15% off at the WSOP. Poker Controls is also actively trying to work with sites like PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker to make the Wireless Poker Controller available in points stores online, which would be a coup for the much-hyped product. The unit runs $79 and is about the size of a Nintendo 64 controller. Each package comes with a software CD, wireless USB receiver, and a USB power cable.

A Poker Controls official told PokerSoftware.com, “I cannot tell you how excited I am. Just to be a part of all of this is crazy. Any product in this market segment that’s new and works well will grab people’s attention.” The Wireless Poker Controller comes packed in a plush red case with a section for the USB receiver carved out of the felt. Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, and PayPal are all accepted for pre-order, which is available on the Poker Controls website. The $79.99 fee does not include tax and delivery. You’ll need at least a Pentium 4 chip and Windows XP or later in order to operate it.

We also had lunch with the folks from PlayerGPS, who recently tweaked their pricing structure shortly after launch. The all-inclusive poker buddy list that sends you AIM, e-mail, and text message alerts whenever buddies sit down at tables will now set you back according to the following schedule:

Grinder ($0.50/$1 to $1/$2): $7.49 per month
Shark ($0.50/$1 to $10/$20): $14.99 per month
Balla ($0.50/$1 and up): $29.99 per month

PlayerGPS officials revealed that the reception has been overwhelmingly positive so far. A large chunk of customers have gravitated towards the Balla membership, which you can also receive right here on PokerSoftware.com as part of our Free Software promotion. For now, PlayerGPS is only compatible with Full Tilt and PokerStars Look for additional sites to be included in the near future.

Stay tuned to PokerSoftware.com for the latest news and events from around the industry.