Online Poker Site Updates for March 2010

In order to keep up with the demands of the public, online poker sites release regular updates to their software.  Some sites like Full Tilt Poker and PartyPoker post updates and respond to comments on forum threads.  Others like PokerStars do so under a veil of secrecy, making users dig around to find the subtle changes that might have taken place.  Let’s take a look at some of the changes implemented in March and dive into what we might see in April.

PokerStars

Although there haven’t been any announcements of changes via its official software update page, PokerStars has made updates to improve performance.  During the final days of December, the site released Euro tables, a colored notes feature, and VIP Club updates.

Representatives on the forums from PokerStars have addressed the situation about the perceived “shortstacker” and “ratholing” issue at cash game tables.  Recently, Full Tilt Poker, PartyPoker, and Everest Poker announced or implemented buy-in structure changes to prevent that behavior from taking place.  PokerStars remains the only major online poker site to allow such play to take place at regular tables.  The statements said that members of a VIP panel received a questionnaire about the issue and PokerStars is talking internally about the situation.  They promised an announcement, one way or the other, in mid-April.

Full Tilt Poker

In what is becoming a monthly update, Full Tilt Poker released a sizeable number of bug fixes and new features in its latest update, which came at the beginning of March.  The update addressed the following, as posted by FTPDoug in the forums:

· Wire withdrawals will be back in the Cashier as an option.
· An issue regarding hand histories not being written if you have a disconnect was fixed.
· Rush Poker time banks for $1-$2 and $0.50-$1 have been increased to 20 seconds.
· Players will be able to buy into FTOPS events with Full Tilt Points potentially in FTOPS XVI.
· The “Quick Fold” button at all Rush Poker tables will be bigger, possibly in the next update.
· Multi-currency tables are on the way.
· A new feature called “Request Hand Histories” will be available to players very soon.
· Rush Poker tables will have the “Check-Fold” button changed to “Check-Quick Fold.”
· There are plans to add PLO 8 ante tables.
· Happy hours for Rush Poker tables will continue to be 30 minutes long even though they are called “Happy Hours.”
· There are no plans to raise or reduce the maximum number of Rush Poker tables you can play at once, keeping it at four.
· Step tournaments are being discussed, but there is no timetable for their implementation.
· Rush Poker ante tables are on their way out because of a lack of interest.
· If you are moved in a tournament, your old table will be closed and the new one will be opened, meaning that your old table will no longer be “left behind” when you get moved.

This month’s promotions include MiniFTOPS XV, which kicked off on March 10th with a $20+$2 No Limit Hold’em event, which had a $350,000 guarantee.  The tournament series concluded on Sunday, March 21st with a $50+$5 No Limit Hold’em Main Event.

PartyPoker

As mentioned earlier, the site’s big news is that it decided to follow Full Tilt Poker’s lead and eliminate shortstacking from regular tables.  In addition, PartyPoker announced a promotion called The Gladiator, which ran this month.  In it, players who accumulated certain levels of Party Points were rewarded with cash.  For those players who hit the maximum number of points every day during the promotion, they received a $12,500 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event prize package.

UB.com

The folks at the CEREUS network skin UB.com also have a WSOP-centric promotion running.  Players who qualify for the Main Event through a qualifier at UB.com will become eligible for a cash prize.  If more players participate in the promotion, more money will be awarded. Visit UB.com for full details.