World Series of Poker 2012 Main Event champion Greg Merson has announced that if PokerStars remains inactive against seat scripting, he abandons the room’s tables.
Ever since the concept of November Nine has been introduced, that is, a several months break is held between the end of the rest of the WSOP and the Main Event Final Table, the final nine has been subject to countless interviews, profile reviews and news to boost interest in the greatest finale of the year. Participants tend to express their commitment to be worthy ambassadors of poker, popularizing the game and helping it improve.
Some players, however, do take actions, including WSOP 2012 winner Greg ‘gregy20723’ Merson, who has launched an assault on seat scripting in the past few days.
He has tweeted the following:
“This seat scripting in your NL games needs to stop ASAP @PokerStars”
“Done playing cash on @PokerStars @PokerStarsBlog after my 300k vpp bonus, the seat scripting is so unfair and cant believe they allow it”
“Everyone that plays cash on stars needs to email support until this is stopped @PokerStars @PokerStarsBlog”
“From @PokerStars The program you refer to, EasySeatPoker, is currently permitted for use on PokerStars. So basically cheating is fine!?”
Seat scripting software have gained popularity over the past year; finding fish at the tables, these programs seat their users with them, according to preset preferences, with a speed no player pointing and clicking with the mouse can hope to match. This results in recreational players instantly having winning the same regulars at their tables, whenever they sit in.
A typical account of such a phenomenon from a recreational player’s point of view reads as follows:
"rec HS player: I actually hav eto go for supper but maybe play again!
HS player: enjoy your meal
rec HS player: gl
HS player: you 2
rec HS player: oh one question
HS player: go ahead
rec HS player: do you every have when you go in like 15-30 steaks the same # guys who come right in after you
rec HS player: like right away almost as soon as you click it
HS player: you should email support about that
rec HS player: same players everytime
HS player: there is a guy with a program or something that auto sits when certain people sit
HS player: you may be on the list
HS player: angribird and others right?
rec HS player: angrybird and some vpvpvpv something or another
rec HS player: hahaah ya
HS player: yes him too
HS player: those guys are XXXXXXXs
rec HS player: what the heck is that about?
HS player: please write emails to support about how bad that is
rec HS player: kk I will do that
HS player: they have a program or something that chases you and others
HS player: it is really abusive and poor
rec HS player: thanks"
More and more rooms and networks taka action against these scripts but PokerStars has so far remained inactive in the question. Lee Jones, representing the room, announced last November that they were monitoring a situation, “watching to see how this plays out.” With no action taken ever since, Merson decided to step up. Many have replied positively, being happy to see the world champion weigh in on the matter.
Several more poker pros consider seat scripting harmful for poker, including 2+2 member high stakes player ‘Two SHAE’, who launched a petition this January. His initiative reads as follows:
“We unite behind the ideas:
(1) Auto-seating scripts are bad for the games.
(2) Auto-seating scripts eliminate the equal chance to get into games that players should have, and therefore represent an unfair advantage to people who could code/obtain such a script.
(3) Idea 1 is reinforced by the fact that this behavior is directly observable by recreational players. There have been many accounts of recs noting in chat that they are being chased.
(4) Stars should outlaw these scripts in its terms and conditions, and specify harsh penalties for not complying with the rules. Stars should dispatch emails to a list of known scripters.
(5) Game selection is okay. Automated game selection is not.”
