Heads-Up with PokerTracker's Steve McLoughlin: Part 2

Steven McLoughlin from PokerTracker tells us about the latest reboot to PokerTracker 4, which included Premium Add-Ons and support for the brand new PartyPoker client. McLoughlin breaks down all of the new inclusions. Read Part 1 of this interview.

PokerSoftware: When should we expect to see the first third-party Premium Add-On available?

Steven McLoughlin: We are working with our first developer right now and we hope they will launch within a month.

PokerSoftware: Are there any restrictions on the pricing of third-party Premium Add-Ons?

Steven McLoughlin: Each third-party developer gets to choose their own pricing. There will be revenue share agreements between each developer and PokerTracker.

PokerSoftware: Tell us about the process of supporting the new PartyPoker client.

Steven McLoughlin: PartyPoker contacted us about a month in advance of the launch with an update. We had been speaking for almost a full year prior in preparation of the new software. We were all ready to go the day that PartyPoker launched, but we had other issues that needed to be addressed first with the same release before it could be put out.

We thought about separating the releases and having a PartyPoker-specific release and then later put out the greater release. Unfortunately, we could not do that because the code was integrated and it would have taken more time to un-integrate the code and put out separate releases. So, we postponed Version 4.10 slightly so we could make sure the release was working as well as possible.

PokerSoftware: How was PokerTracker able to quickly support the 888 Poker Mac client?

Steven McLoughlin: This was possible because they provided us with a beta copy in advance and gave us notice a week before the beta became public. There may be more from 888 Poker in the future. We enjoy working with their team to ensure compliance.

PokerSoftware: PokerTracker is efficient in supporting other client updates like PokerStars' auto-centering. Were you informed ahead of time about that?

Steven McLoughlin: PokerStars communicates with us any time there is something radical, different, or life-changing. We usually do not get any notice about smaller changes such as auto-centering. That is the kind of thing that users can make us aware of. They send a support ticket with the data that we need such as a screen capture, hand, or tournament summary. We can then integrate that in the very next release.

This is how we discover the vast majority of changes. We literally find out the most information from our users. Users should never assume that PokerTracker knows about a change that occurred on a poker room, as we rely on the community for our information.

PokerSoftware: Will we potentially see PokerTracker supporting U.S. regulated sites?

Steven McLoughlin: According to the laws, which we have read in great detail, tracking HUDs are legal in New Jersey, Nevada, and Delaware. However, just because HUDs are legal does not necessarily mean we will develop PokerTracker for the site or does it mean the sites will allow it. It is up to the site to make the decision and then the site will be up for consideration by our developers if there is interest.

Visit PokerTracker 4's website today.

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