PokerStars has finally banned SharkScope

News has broken this morning that the world’s biggest online poker site has opted to ban the use of the SharkScope database and their head-up display software. PokerStars has finally banned SharkScope after considering doing so last year. SharkScope now joins 41 other listed programs which PokerStars have deemed unfair and have prohibited at their poker site.

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SharkScope is a database of over 300 million online poker tournaments from poker sites and poker networks including; PokerStars, FullTilt, CryptoLogic Network, Pacific Poker, Party Poker, iPoker Network, Sky Poker, Everest Poker, Cake Poker Network, Betfair Poker, PKR and many more. The hand histories and wagering levels are processed by SharkScope allowing you to analyze your own statistics plus look up poker players who you are facing to see how they play online poker. SharkScope’s heads-up display takes this unfair advantage to the next level by automatically displaying these details and statistics over the online poker table that you’re playing at. This means that you will always know if your opponents are on tilt or in the form of their lives before you even call a single bet.

This move that PokerStars has taken could be very difficult to police. What is there to stop an online poker player from having two computers running, one playing online poker games and the other running a database like SharkScope? This means that honest players who wouldn’t violate PokerStars rules will be at a disadvantage as many less honest online poker players will choose to continue using SharkScope and have a great advantage over their opponents.

The argument of the use of such poker databases will surely continue for year to come with some poker sites banning them, some tolerating them and some of them even encouraging the use of such poker databases. Whether you’re a SharkScope user or not there are plenty of great online poker sites to choose from with varying levels of competition and traffic. Take a look through our online poker review section to find a poker site that’s right for you.

25/05/2010 15:17:17

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