Joined: Jan '12
Location: United Kingdom
Age: 36 (M)
Posts: 1204
This is obviously down to opinion, but many people consider pokerstars to be the best site, with the best software. I think although its one the most polished and easy on the eye softwares its pretty basic. Basically all it is is a virtual table and a few circles for avatars. Plus compared to other sites the rake is very low, and bonuses have an almost ridiculous amount of points to accumulate for a comparably measly bonus. I think the main attraction to pokerstars must be the TV time it gets from adverts and sponsoring almost every reputed tournament under the sun. The software isn't up to scratch in my humble opinion. No percentages, rabbit run, and not even something as basic as smileys (as annoying as they may be). In my opinion carbon poker has the best software even if its a little bit cartoonish.
Joined: May '11
Location: New Zealand
Age: 51 (M)
Posts: 12
Pokerstars for me hands down above any other site. Those cartoon things etc...you mentioned are all well and good but, i think you will find that serious players such as myself aren't as interested in those types of things and they aren't even factored into consideration when choosing which site to play at. Pokerstars software may not be as flash as some other sites in terms of little extras etc...but, they far exceed any other site in terms of gaurantees offering value for money, customer support and many other things that serious players consider far more important than the things you've mentioned. As a serious player, i already know what my percentages are in a hand without being told, don't give free information to my opponents so, aren't about to show my hand in a rabbit run and the list goes on etc...
Guess it all boils down to what is important to you when playing poker online and what your goals/objectives are etc...
Like you, this is just my personal preference for a site and is based on my list of factors i consider important when looking at which site to play on to meet my objectives.
For your info though, its not actually Carbon poker software you like. Carbon is simply a skin on the Merge network so, its actually the Merge software your referring to with regards to the smileys, rabbit runs etc...I occasionally play on Hero poker which is another merge skin like Carbon (different site-there are many/same software).
Joined: Feb '11
Location: Canada
Age: 34 (M)
Posts: 831
Posted by Xryan: I prefer pokerstars because it is so puristic. Chatting only directs your attention away from the game, thus smileys are not necessary.
chatting both online and live is a HUGE part of the game IMO. and one of my favorite things about hero poker (merge) is the smileys
Joined: Jan '12
Location: United Kingdom
Age: 36 (M)
Posts: 1204
Posted by OMGurBAD: Pokerstars for me hands down above any other site. Those cartoon things etc...you mentioned are all well and good but, i think you will find that serious players such as myself aren't as interested in those types of things and they aren't even factored into consideration when choosing which site to play at. Pokerstars software may not be as flash as some other sites in terms of little extras etc...but, they far exceed any other site in terms of gaurantees offering value for money, customer support and many other things that serious players consider far more important than the things you've mentioned. As a serious player, i already know what my percentages are in a hand without being told, don't give free information to my opponents so, aren't about to show my hand in a rabbit run and the list goes on etc...
Guess it all boils down to what is important to you when playing poker online and what your goals/objectives are etc...
Like you, this is just my personal preference for a site and is based on my list of factors i consider important when looking at which site to play on to meet my objectives.
For your info though, its not actually Carbon poker software you like. Carbon is simply a skin on the Merge network so, its actually the Merge software your referring to with regards to the smileys, rabbit runs etc...I occasionally play on Hero poker which is another merge skin like Carbon (different site-there are many/same software).
Yeah I know its on merge but its the only merge site I play on so done that out of habit. I just think they should have the percentage because maybe if people could see their percentages there would be less rigtards.
Joined: Jan '12
Location: United Kingdom
Age: 36 (M)
Posts: 1204
I just need to make this clear I like pokerstars I just think its online, and thus can automatically calculate percentages saving time and effort. This thread is about what is the best SOFTWARE, not I hate pokerstars or what my favourite site is.
Joined: May '11
Location: New Zealand
Age: 51 (M)
Posts: 12
I still think Pokerstars has the best software for a serious player...those extras being talked about are commonly already apart of a serious players poker armoury and aren't needed. Take those extras (that aren't needed - in my case at least) out of the equation and i think pokerstars has the best software.
Just my personal opinion, based on what i'm personally looking for in a site.
Joined: May '11
Location: New Zealand
Age: 51 (M)
Posts: 12
LOL, my bad....no offence intended.
Serious may not be the right word...
I'm simply referring to a player who plays for a living (such as myself) who views the things mentioned as irrelevant or simply dont have a need for them in the bigger picture due to the fact that such players do the calculations mentioned themselves and dont chat as much as social players etc...etc...etc...
When i do happen to play on the merge network, i have all those things mentioned turned off and my tables stripped to the bare minimum. Thus when i compare a stripped to the minimum merge software table with a pokerstars software table, i prefer Pokerstars.
Joined: Feb '12
Location: New Zealand
Age: 53 (M)
Posts: 145
I prefer PokerStars (but needs some tweaks, Clicking fold/check/ bet TAB's'/BOX's as they can go all over place (MissClicks) if your MultiTabling, or Drunk/etc lol) as it is simplistic, which is good if u don't have much bandwidth to play with, I can only afford a limited amount of data a month, as I'm on a budget. Fulltilt had great features(but blew the bandwidth/data faster), I don't like PP's not seeing cards after u fold, but it dose help remembering cards(but don't help if you want keep track of reads of OP's) that folded(maybe im lazy lol), and they have some great lobby features.
I like PS's as it doesn't blow my Bandwidth/data Bankroll, and I don't have too Reload more each month just to play poker. All The Best Luck/Skill (PS; i find PokerStars & PartyPoker don't play nice together when playing same client software at same time, each want take top window position which can lead to miss clicks, BEEP lost few major hands when this has happened) I agree with OMGurlBad, What's wrong with being serous (who needs all fancy stuff),Its about You(pocket Cards) and good decisions , and OP's (pocket Cards), and Lady luck(cards, that tell the final story) that matter's?
Joined: May '09
Location: Spain
Age: 49 (M)
Posts: 1331
Hi guys!!
The best software is now off. Yes, I´m talking about FTP software. The best of the softs we can use today, Pokerstars without doubt. Not strange PS spends more $$ than other site in the soft.
Joined: Oct '09
Location: Spain
Age: 60 (M)
Posts: 2851
Full Tilt by far. Way ahead of the rest IMO. With a bit of luck we'll get it back soon.
I had FT completely costumised (table, buttons, etc.) in black with the "IslandJack" logo, clean, cool, and simple, and just the way I wanted it, and then Black Friday happened.
Second I would put Pokerstars, even though I don't play there much because the Belgian Govt took over.
Party I still play and have for a long time. Not my favourite, but not bad either. Most of whatever else I've played is way behind IMO. Hate the IPoker skins.
PKR I don't like, but am VERY curious as to their new 2D which they will bring out sometime soon I hope. We'll see what they make of it.
Joined: Apr '11
Location: Romania
Age: 35 (M)
Posts: 6669
Since i saw this thread up i also want to add another thing, only FTP and pokerstars show a pot when you took itdown with a cbet for example only the real amount you won.
On all other poker software out there, when you make a cbet and the opponent folds it shows you took down a larger pot than you actually won...
Joined: Aug '10
Location: Germany
Age: 52 (M)
Posts: 2219
Not a surprise, but PokerStars has the best software (and the most unbelievable suckouts). And i like the software from the merge network (Carbon, Black Chip, Lock etc.). The number one for me was the FullTilt software, but the gangster are gone...
Joined: May '09
Location: India
Age: 37 (M)
Posts: 4873
Posted by sadamman: percentages, rabbit run, and not
afaik merge uses a continuous shuffle (pokerstars is the only major site i know not using continuous shuffle) that would make the rabbit hunts misleading, because it wont show the cards which would hav come( had the hand been played ) but only one of the many hundred thousand possibilities.
Joined: Mar '09
Location: Greece
Age: 47 (F)
Posts: 14136
My best one was Full Tilt.
@Supernoob Even if things are like you say how hard is to show the rabbit cam if the hand ends. They can shuffle and show it like they do in Microgaming where you can see the turn if the hand ends in flop and same way you can see the river if it ends in flop.
What? The computer program will get more tired if it shuffled once more just to show the rabbit?
Joined: Apr '09
Location: Australia
Age: 40 (M)
Posts: 6483
PS I find the easiest to use, navigate and is definitely very functional. Follows a classic formula - simple, intuitive and functional. Always a winning combination.
PKR - which is the room I play at, is somewhere at the opposite end of the scale- As far as sheer technology is concerned, it's miles ahead of anything else, obviously. However - the lobby is clumsy, many basic features found on other sites are missing, filtering misses a lot of options,etc. My single biggest gripe with PKR has to be the "cards down" feature - where you have to manually look at your cards, as they otherwise remain hidden. When playing on 9 tables, this is a nightmare. Luckily when playing CG you can opt to play on 'cards up' tables. However - SNG/MTT has no such choice- although PLO/PLO8 tourneys are cards up thankfully.
The reason I play at PKR isn't because of the 3D graphics, in fact - since the released the 2D version about 6months ago, I've basically only played on that. I just love the community there, I have friends there. I like the smaller fields in the MTTs and I like the table banter. I've also got good rewards there - Rakeback - plus other loyalty benefits - including a personal player manager
more each month just to play 
lost few major hands when this has happened)
