Pokerstars bans sharkscope
Per Pokersourse Online, you can no longer use sharkscope or the HU display while you are at their site. While playing today a bunch of letters came up in my chatbox, I had to type them in and press enter to continue playing. They must be using some kind of software to find out if you're using sharkscope. Any of the computer geeks know if this is possible? I don't use the software myself.
Comments
What?!?! There must be other ways to use sharkscope than the way I use it (just going to a website and doing searches).
Maybe you should create a site called 'RoccoScope' so that you can keep following this so called OgRocco Character around the entire world wide web. I wonder how many 'Groupies' this Og dude has. LOL!
For more info:
http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/36...rstars-336360/
pokerstars responds on page 6, sharkscope is not all that anyway imo
Here's how I use sharkscope...
I'm in a sit and go. Some clown (let's call him FOOLIO) starts going off on someone about how much of a donk they are.
Me: <type> <type> <foolio> <Pokerstars>
Me: <typing> "Hmmm...Foolio, according to Sharkscope, you've lost $3,000 on sit and gos in the last 2 months. Who's a donk?"
Can PS detect what I have running on another computer
Nope.
They do however put an add-in in IE that can detect the site.
Sharkscope also has a Heads Up Display
This is the post I made on twoplustwo on the sharkscope issue:
My frustration with this policy is how vague it is in terms of rules/punishments. This is fairly uncharacteristic of Stars, generally they are very clear about things. This feels more like a Party Poker rule or promotion that takes several tries to fully understand.
The problem this creates is not so much the invasion of privacy issues that some bring up (usually because they have something to hide or just an inflated sense of importance), rather that with such a vague "rule" it will be misunderstood by players and support staff alike.
For instance the first reply I received from Stars was the following when I asked what "using sharkscope" meant.
Thank you for your email.
PokerStars has recently introduced new rules regarding SharkScope. We
consider it to be a prohibited program, and using SharkScope violates the
Terms Of Service (TOS) of PokerStars.
Section 5.4 of the TOS states:
5.4. EXTERNAL PLAYER ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS (EPA). PokerStars prohibits
those External Player Assistance Programs ("EPA Programs") which are
designed to provide an "Unfair Advantage" to players. PokerStars defines
"External" to mean computer software (other than the Software), and
non-software-based databases or profiles (e.g. web sites and subscription
services). PokerStars defines an "Unfair Advantage" as any instance in
which a User accesses or compiles information on other players beyond that
which the User has personally observed through the User's own game play.
Please note, Sharkscope does not have any information which cannot be
obtained by simply opening tournament lobbies and recording the results
manually. However, by compiling those results automatically into a more
accessible format (without PokerStars' permission) for other players to
access in an attempt to gain an unfair advantage at the tables, Sharkscope
is ignoring the privacy rights of our players and contravenes our TOS
relating to "EPA Programs."
Consequently, PokerStars has decided to prohibit the use of SharkScope
in conjunction with play at PokerStars.
The full TOS are available on the PokerStars website:
Poker Stars - Online Poker Site Terms of Service
Additionally, we have published a Prohibited Online Software FAQ:
Prohibited Online Poker Software Programs
Please let us know if you have any other questions and thanks for playing
at PokerStars.
Regards,
Jordan J.
PokerStars Support Team
Ok, this sort of dealt with it in a general manner, but it never really answered my question so I tried again being more specific and received the following:
Thank you for your response.
If you are using SharkScope while running PokerStars your account is
subjected to being frozen or banned.
Should you have any further questions or problems feel free to contact
PokerStars Support.
Regards,
Jordan J.
PokerStars Support Team
Which, umm , wow ok. I still was never told what "using sharkscope" meant, and again I just assumed I was being given generic types of responses, but this last one was very concerning so I pushed on. The next reply was that it was being passed on to the technical department. A day later I received the following which did clear up the issue a bit more.
Thank you for your further email. Your email was escalated to me as a
member of the PokerStars Game Security Team.
Since you have raised a number of issues, let me take the time to address
each point in turn.
>1) What does "using sharkscope" mean? Does visiting their website = using
>it or are you talking about some special tool they have which use is banned
We mean that you may not visit SharkScope.com, or use any of their tools.
>2) Can I visit sharkscope site while NOT RUNNING Pokerstars. WHat I mean
>is if I want to print out a graph of my results can I go there search
>myself print the graph etc while I am NOT RUNNING Pokerstars.
We would prefer if you didn't use SharkScope at all. That said, the
PokerStars client enforcement mechanisms only operate while the PokerStars
client is operating.
>This is very vaguely worded, and its chilling if the reality is visiting a
>website can mean one loses all of their funds without warning, especially
>since probably most players do not even know this and would never assume
>that going to that site would result in a ban.
I do not envisage that we would seize funds from anyone for using
SharkScope. Even the owner of SharkScope is not going to have his funds
seized for it.
I hope that this puts your mind at ease, but if you have any further
questions, please feel free to email us again anytime.
Sincerely,
Michael J
PokerStars Game Security Team
Summary: My biggest concern with this rule is that it is very vague in how it will be interpreted and misinterpreted. I understand that they want to limit the amount of "u suxxors -78% ROI" type chat and that is fine, but perhaps banning chat would be a more appropriate form of punishment.
Restricting the use of tools that help players I understand. Restricting the right to visit a website as a rule - good luck with making people understand that and with properly enforcing that in it's current state.
Elaborate on that. I'm using PS right now and I see no add-ons listed in IE that have anything to do with it.
They may not be doing it any more, but some sites do.
I see Doyle's Room and Party poker specifically in mine
Nah, I use her for 'other' things...'wink'. ^-^