Third Party Tools and Services - FAQ

What is this all about?
With the explosion in online poker, people have developed tools and services to help them play better online. We think it is okay for players to use some of those tools and services . However, some of those tools and services go beyond what we consider acceptable as an aid in playing online.
There is a range of things that a player can do to improve his chances in a poker game. For instance, he can play a lot and gain experience, or he can read a book about poker. Both of these techniques are clearly appropriate. At the other end of the spectrum, he can work in collusion with another player, sharing information about hole cards and teaming up against other players. This is clearly cheating.

In between those two extremes are many tools and services - some of which we consider to be too close to cheating. For example, there are people building huge databases with profiles of every player on PokerStars, and they are selling access to these databases. A player with access to such a database can call up detailed information about every one of his opponents without ever playing against those opponents himself. We believe this gives that player an unfair advantage against others at his table.

Obviously, reasonable people will disagree over what is appropriate and what is not. We have developed what we consider to be a reasonable compromise between letting players take every possible fair advantage, but prohibiting the unfair ones.
Why did this all get started?
We have gotten emails on this subject from many players. Some want to use these 'aid' tools and services and are asking if they're okay. Other players are concerned that their opponents are using aid tools and services . We needed to establish a policy so we could draw a line between acceptable and unacceptable tools and services . We made this decision only after thorough discussion within PokerStars and with poker experts outside PokerStars.
In general, what kind of tools and services are acceptable?
The following types of tools and services are generally acceptable:
1. Tools, services or charts that simply tell you odds, starting hand recommendations, etc.
2. Tools and services that profile your opponents, but make use of only information which you have accumulated by your own play.
3. Macros and Hotkey tools and services that don’t have any bearing on gameplay logic. For example, you can use AutoHotKey, MacroExpress or AutoIt3 to make it such that you 'bet the pot' when you press the 'P' key, but you cannot use these or other utilities to create an autofolder that folds poor starting hands, or that automates advice or actions from any other program.
Why is this an issue?
Consider this: you are playing at a six-person table and the other five players at that table are using a shared database program. After each hand, they are able to see what cards every other player (except you) had. Do you want to play at that table?
Can you give me a list of acceptable tools and services ?
This is a list of tools and services that we are aware of and permit:
1. Calculatem Pro
2. Coach Rounder
3. Draw Poker Source
4. FreePokerDB (aka FPDB)
5. GameTime+
6. Holdem Advantage
7. Hold’em Cockpit
8. Holdem Genius
9. Holdem Indicator
10. Holdem Manager
11. Holdem Partner
12. Holdem Radar
13. Holdem Ranger (including RealTime HUD)
14. NotesNL
15. Omaha Indicator
16. Omaha Poker Coach
17. Paragon Poker Pal
18. Poker Academy Prospector
19. PokerAce HUD
20. Pokerbility
21. Poker Buddy
22. Poker Butler
23. Poker Calculator Pro (aka Poker Pro 2007 by PokerProLabs)
24. Poker Copilot
25. PokerEval (Registered Version Only)
26. Poker EV
27. Poker Evolver
28. PokerGrapher
29. PokerHands
30. Poker Indicator
31. Poker Juggernaut
32. PokerKant
33. PokerObserver HUD
34. Poker Office
35. Poker Potjie
36. Poker Sharpener
37. Poker Sidekick
38. Poker Sniffer
39. Poker Spy
40. PokerStat
41. Poker Stove
42. PokerStrategy Equilator
43. Poker Tracker (including Table Tracker)
44. Poker Vitals
45. Poker Weapon
46. Poker Wingman
47. Pot Odd Rechner
48. PPA Poker Calculator
49. Sharktoolz Bankroll Manager
50. Sharktoolz Poker-Reader
51. SmartBuddy
52. Star Tracker
53. Stud Inspector v1
54. Table Shark
55. Telescope by SpadeIt
56. Texas Calculatem
57. ThePokerDB
58. Tournament Indicator
59. Tournament Shark
60. Tournament Updater
This list was last updated November 7 2008.
In general, what kinds of tools and services are prohibited?
The following types of tools and services are prohibited:
1. Any program that shares hole card data with other players or tools and services is colluding, and is prohibited.
2. Any program that works off of a central database of player profiles or hands played is prohibited.
3. Any program that plays without human intervention (a 'bot') or reduces the requirement of a human playing. For instance, an 'auto-folder' is prohibited.
4. The practice of datamining (observing games as a non-player for extended periods in order to build up a large database of hand histories for future reference) is prohibited.
5. Any software that offers advice on the appropriate action to take, and which is also programmable or configurable beyond a simple slider to choose a level of aggressiveness or tightness.
Can you give me a list of tools and services which are prohibited?
This is a list of tools and services that are prohibited:
1. Advanced Poker Calculator
2. CardAnalyzer
3. Gambot
4. Hand HQ
5. hhSmithey
6. Holdem Hawk
7. Holdem Pirate
8. Holdem Inspector a.k.a. Online Holdem Inspector
9. ICM-Bot
10. iHH Harvester
11. Magic Holdem
12. Mandraker
13. MyPokerIntel
14. Online Omaha High Inspector
15. Open Holdem Bot
16. OPI Wizard
17. Poker Analytics
18. Poker Android
19. Poker Bot+
20. Poker Bloodhound
21. Poker Crusher
22. Poker Edge
23. Poker Inspector a.k.a. Online Poker Inspector
24. Poker Mate
25. Poker Player Winnings
26. Poker Prophecy
27. POKERobot
28. Poker Sherlock
29. Poker Table Manager
30. Poker Usher
31. Real Poker Rankings
32. SharkMate
33. Sit n' Go Brain
34. Sixth Sense
35. SmartCollector a.k.a. Mixed Harvesters
36. SpadeEye
37. Stars Hand History (SHH)
38. StarSpy
39. Texas Auto Fold
40. TheCashDB
41. WinHoldem
This list was last updated November 7 2008.

Some software tools and services have legitimate uses for analysing your poker game, but are not appropriate for use during actual play. For instance, ICM (Independent Chip Model) and Nash Equilibrium tools can be used for post-game analysis and for studying hands which you have previously played. However, tools such as this cannot be used while the PokerStars software is open.

Examples of tools and services that are not permitted while the PokerStars is running are:
1. Insight Poker Hound
2. PokerStrategy Elephant
3. PokerStrategy ICM Trainer
4. SAGE Decision Calculator
5. SharkScope
6. Sit n’ Go End Game Tools
7. SitnGo Wizard
8. SNG Power Tools
9. Spade ICM
10. STT Analyzer by PokerSoftwareTools
This list was last updated November 7, 2008.
There's a tool/service I'd like to use, but it's not on any of these lists. Now what?
Please send an email to support@pokerstars.com with all the information you have about that the tool or service in question. Please include a URL to a web page about that program if at all possible. We will review the tool or service and let you know if it's permitted or not.
Are the above lists subject to change?
Yes. In addition to evaluating new tools and services that come to our attention, PokerStars frequently re-examines those already on the permitted and prohibited tools and services lists to ensure they continue to fall within our terms of service. In addition, the terms of service themselves and the definition of a prohibited tool or service are periodically re-examined and are subject to change without notice. These re-examinations can result in a tool or service being reclassified without notice, moving from the permitted list to the prohibited list or vice-versa. PokerStars assumes no responsibility to notify players of any such reclassifications. Players should regularly check the lists of tools and services to verify the current status of any item’s classification.
May I use a permitted tool or service to record information about players from hands in which I am not playing?
With trivial exceptions, no. You may only collect hand histories and player information from hands in which you are a participant.
What steps are you going to take to prevent players from using prohibited tools and services ?
We are going to look to see if any of those tools and services are running on a player's computer. If we find one of the prohibited tools or services, we will alert the player that he is running a prohibited tool or service and tell him what the it is. We will ask that he stop running the tool or service immediately. If he complies, fine. If not, then we will prevent the PokerStars client from running on his computer.
Are you going to look for anything else on players' computers?
Absolutely not. Our sole interest is in protecting our players and our site from tools and services that we believe are bad for the integrity and fairness of our games.
Are you going to confiscate the account funds of somebody running a prohibited tool or service?
While we reserve the right to confiscate the funds of somebody running a prohibited tool or service, we are not going to do this lightly. We want to educate our players - not punish them. However, we will confiscate funds if a player shows a consistent pattern of using prohibited tools and services after being warned.