PlayerStalker Poker Buddy List Launches

In 2009, the poker software industry has seen its share of poker buddy list programs released.  These pieces of software will allow you to enter in the screen name of a player into a list.  When a player on your list goes online, the program will tell you what tables he or she is sitting at.  Sharks use buddy lists as a fish finding tool, while others use buddy lists to find and follow friends while they put in online poker sessions.  Finally, some people have found that tracking themselves is an ingenious method of security, so that they are alerted as soon as possible if their account is accessed.

A new service, PlayerStalker, went live to the public in recent days.  This site claims to be the most comprehensive monitoring tool and alert service in the entire industry.  The company tracks players whenever they sit at a table, even if they are hidden from the site's search feature.  Players can add others into their tracking list and receive alerts via SMS text message on their cell phone, e-mail, MSN, AIM, or Skype whenever someone on their list starts playing.  PlayerStalker tracks all stakes and games, including Hold'em, Omaha, Stud, Razz, and Mixed Games.

The site monitors PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker, Absolute Poker, Ultimate Bet, PartyPoker, and the iPoker network.  There are many sites soon to be added, including Cake Poker, Everest, OnGame, and the Microgaming Network.  Individual players have the option of "opting out" of the PlayerStalker database, which removes their names from potential "stalking" by subscribers.  The site put this feature into place in order to comply with the terms of service for poker rooms.

There are four levels of subscriptions available to those who want to try the service out.  The first is a seven-day free trial that allows a player to search through the micro-stakes ($100 games and below) and through all poker games except for Razz and Mixed.  Players can get five text messages during this period and receive e-mail and messenger service notifications.

Once the free seven-day trial has expired, there are three paid subscription plans available.  The first is the Lite level, which runs $20 per month.  It scans all $100 games and below and allows a player to receive 50 text messages per month.  The Standard level is $30 per month and allows scanning of all poker games and stakes up to $400 buy-in games with 100 text messages allotted.  Finally, there's the Heavy/Full package, which allows scanning of all games and gives players 150 text messages per month.

No matter what your level of subscription might be, PlayerStalker allows you to monitor an unlimited number of people at once.  If a player is online and in your list, you will be provided with their table name, stakes, game type, and how many players are sitting at the table.  You will receive this information for every table that particular player is sitting at while he or she is logged in.  This helps sharks track down fish or even lucky "hit and run" types that win on a bad beat and then leave the table for a new one.

When a player from your list logs in, you can set your list to provide any and all of the alerts available so you can know they are online.  The text message, IM, and e-mail all read:

"PlayerStalker Alert: [player name] is playing on '[table name]' at [Poker Site] for more tables/details, login to http://www.PlayerStalker.com.”



The site is new, but the early reports are extremely positive.  Although the pricing structure might be outside of the range of a novice or casual online poker player, for sharks and high-stakes regulars, it seems like a worthwhile investment.  No buddy list tracking website is tracking as many major poker rooms as PlayerStalker and, with a slate of impressive features, it might be the one to check out at this time.